Photo from Official Gazette/Website
MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has defended the allocation of funds for the Philippine Military Academy (PMA), the Local Government Academy, and other institutions as part of the education sector’s budget.
In a statement on Monday, the agency cited Section 5(5), Article XIV of the 1987 Constitution, saying that “The State shall assign the highest budgetary priority to education and ensure that teaching will attract and retain its rightful share of the best available talents through adequate remuneration and other means of job satisfaction and fulfillment.”
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This law mandates a quarterly tax on foreign DSPs such as video streaming platforms, mobile applications, online advertising spaces, search engine services, and social networks, among others.
The investment promotion agency said their deputy director general for operations Vivian S. Santos represented them during the inauguration and grand opening of Aromate’s landmark branch at the Light Industry and Science Park (LISP) III in Sto. Tomas, Batangas.
FEATURED STORIES NEWSINFO Sandigan finds former Quezon City mayor Herbert Bautista guilty of graft NEWSINFO CIDG chief Torre to file cyber libel raps vs Jay Sonza, vlogger NEWSINFO Hontiveros assures Marcos: No risky clauses in anti-teen pregnancy billThe agency noted that education being referred to in the law does not limit the Department of Education only but covers other agencies with similar functions.
rvt slot“It did not specifically say that it is the Department of Education, so we have to consider the entire education sector,” the DBM statement read.
Article continues after this advertisement“Based on the computations made by the Bicameral Conference Committee, the Education Sector got a P1.055.9 trillion allocation, while Public Works got P1.007.9 trillion, including the items vetoed by the President,” it added.
Article continues after this advertisementThe DBM further emphasized that the computation and classification of the education sector were made by the Bicameral Conference Committee of the Congress.
Article continues after this advertisement“Attribution of budget of those to education is a matter of accounting and policy. It was Congress who did so, so we just have to defer to wisdom of the Congress,” it said.
“And PMA and PNPA [Philippine National Police Academy] are still educational institutions with recognized course offerings so we don’t see any real challenge to its characterization as educational expenses,” the DBM added.
Article continues after this advertisementThis statement came after criticism on the inclusion of said academies and institutions under the budget allotted for education.
Last January 7, Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin said that inclusion of military and police academies’ funds in the education fund should be looked at with “broader understanding.”
“The language of the Constitution is not that specific when it comes to education. You have to look at this with a broader understanding. If before, the treatment was the budget of education was only that allocated to DepEd, that was the wisdom at that time,” Bersamin said at a press briefing.
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“The education responsibility has been shifted to other government agencies. Is it fair for everyone to claim that they should not be included in the education sector because the PNP (Philippine National Police) or AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines) is there? That is not goodjilipark,” he added.
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