The Amihan National Federation of Peasant Women said that the P5.024 trillion proposed 2022 national budget is a perfect display of the Duterte government’s criminal negligence and failed pandemic response marked with distorted priorities and inappropriate solutions to the current health and economic crisis.
“The budget maintained its pre-pandemic priorities putting the large chunk of the national budget to infrastructure, public order and debt service despite the evident need for the health sector, social amelioration and economic stimulus,” Soriano added.
Based on the President’s budget message, debt servicing will get a total of P1.3 trillion while infrastructure will get P1.2 trillion and public order and safety will have a total of P854.3 billion. However, the health sector will only have P252.4 billion while agriculture and agrarian development will get P152 billion despite our peasant women, farmers, fisher folk and food producers’ demands for ayuda and production subsidy, health workers’ demands for salary increase, hazard pay and benefits, and the Filipino people’s unwavering demand to strengthen the public health system.
“Amid the prolonged suffering of the people due to the militarist pandemic response, the recent budget spending controversies, the upcoming presidential elections and Duterte’s declaration to run for VP, the public should be more vigilant and vocal on the 2022 national budget,” Soriano said.
“The budget plan reflects the short and long-term goals of the administration. Malinaw sa proposed 2022 budget na walang kongkretong plano ang gobyernong Duterte para maibsan ang kahirapan at kagutuman ng pamilyang magbubukid at ng mamamayan ngayong pandemya kundi maghanda ng pondo at makinarya sa nalalapit na eleksyon para makapanatili sa poder, supilin ang karapatan ng mamamayan at magkamal pa ng higit na yaman,” Soriano ended. ###
