BUDGET CUTS | Left-wing solon decries budget cuts on historical, cultural agencies

August 24, 2022 , 08:51 PM

By Clarist Zablan

(August 24, 2022) – A left-wing lawmaker on Wednesday called out the budget cuts on key government agencies that serve to preserve the country’s history and culture, raising concerns that this will further encourage disinformation and historical distortion.

Gabriela Women’s Party Congresswoman Arlene Brosas said the National Commission for Culture and Arts (NCCA) suffered the largest cut in the proposed budget allocations for 2023, with only P25.16 million earmarked for the agency, a massive 83.9% drop from last year.

“This move seems to be a political statement from the Marcos Jr. administration that they do not care about history, and that they are hell-bent on doing whatever it takes to conceal the truth from the Filipinos,” Brosas said in a press release.

This was not the first time NCCA suffered cuts. Last year, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) approved a P29.38 million funding for the agency, suggesting an 82.8% budget cut.

NCCA’s budget was raised to P156.28 million in the end, albeit slightly lower than the P168.78 million the agency originally proposed.

The proposed budget for the National Archives, National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP), and the National Library also fell by 22-27% from last year, Brosas said.

She said the NHCP is facing budget cuts despite the need for more funding to fast-track the restoration of historical and cultural sites that were damaged by the recent earthquake in northern Luzon, such as the Gabriela Silang Gallery.

Brosas, who is also an assistant minority leader in the Lower House, vowed to question the budget cuts on the agencies, along with the decreased budget for Philippine General Hospital and social welfare services during the debates in the Congress.

“We will continue to fight for the truth and rights of the Filipino people and reject all moves to completely erase the atrocities under the Marcos regime,” she said.

President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s win in the recent elections raised concerns among his critics that his victory will encourage further whitewashing of the image of his father, the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos Sr., and his legacy of human rights violations and corruption.

The Marcos administration, through DBM Secretary Amenah Pangandaman, has submitted to the Congress the proposed 2023 budget, which she said sought to prioritize education, infrastructure, health, agriculture, and social protection to ensure the country is ready to face “risks” and “challenges” in the future.

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