Senate approves P8.3-B budget for ARMM

THE Senate has approved an 8.3-billion-peso budget for the strife-torn Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), which is 20 percent lower than its original proposed budget of 9.9 billion pesos.

The Senate concurred with the House approval of the 2006 ARMM budget, which would be apportioned according to the socioeconomic and infrastructure needs of the five ARMM provinces wracked by decades of armed conflict and vendetta killings.

The region is composed of the provinces of Maguindanao, Lanao del Sur, Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi and the city of Marawi.

Local leaders welcomed the new budget for ARMM, which is 15 percent higher than last year's 7.2 billion pesos.

ARMM Governor Zaldy Ampatuan said the bulk of the budget would go to salaries and other benefits for the region's employees and only a tiny part would be used for development.

Considered one of the most depressed regions in the country, ARMM needs funding support to build schools, hospitals, roads, bridges and other basic community needs like light and water, the governor said.

"About 60 percent of the entire budget goes to personnel services, 22 percent to maintenance and operating expenses, and 18 percent for capital outlay," Ampatuan said.

Of the total 8.3-billion-peso budget, about five billion pesos will be allotted for personnel services, 1.8 billion pesos for miscellaneous and other operating expenses, and 1.4 billion pesos for capital outlay.

Ampatuan would ask this month for a "supplemental budget" of 1.03 billion pesos from President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

Regional Legislative Assembly Speaker Hatimil Hassan said the original budget proposal of 9.9 billion pesos for ARMM failed to get the nod of the Department of Budget and Management which has set a "standard ceiling" on budget increases.

Ampatuan is demanding an "equal and just sharing" of government allocations based on the local government unit's socioeconomic status and pending security and investment problems. (ZS)