Tiangco bares details of House-approved ₱2.2-B proposed budget for Navotas

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At least P2.28 billion of infrastructure projects under the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) have been allocated to the lone district of Navotas under the House-approved P7.2 trillion proposed national budget for 2027, Navotas Rep. Tobias Tiangco said.

Tiangco made the disclosure in a Facebook live, saying that this is is his way of being transparent on which projects he wants funded for the benefit of his constituents following consultations with DPWH officials and the City Engineering Office.

The P2.28 billion is broken down to:

• P1.609 billion worth of projects approved by the Regional Development Council and civil society organizations for Navotas worth as provided under the DPWH’s proposed budget under the National Expenditure Program and
• P673 million worth additional DPWH-proposed projects that was added by the House of Representatives.

The P2.28 billion, Tiangco said, covers 39 projects.

"Kung ayaw nilang gawing mandatory ang transparency, sisimulan ko sa sarili kong distrito. Walang dahilan para itago sa taumbayan kung saan napupunta ang kanilangpera," Tiangco said.

(If they don’t want to make transparency mandatory, I will start on my districts. There’s no reason for the public to wonder where their taxes are being spent on.)

Tiangco then urged his colleagues to follow his cue by voluntarily disclosing their respective district allocations and projects.

"Kung kaya nating ipakita sa mga taga-Navotas kung magkano ang budget, saan ito gagamitin, at bakit ito ang mga proyektong pinili, sana ganito rin ang gawin ng lahat ng kongresista. Karapatan ng bawat Pilipino na malamankung paano ginagastos ang kanilang pera," he said.

(If I can show how much is the budget and its purpose, there’s no reason for the rest of us to do the same. It is the right of the Filipinos to know where public funds are spent.)

"Hindi puwedeng transparency lang kapag budget ng ibang ahensya ang pinag-uusapan. Dapat magsimula mismo sa amin sa Kongreso. Ang budget ay pera ng taumbayan, hindi ng mga politiko," he stressed.

(We cannot just stand for transparency when just talking about a specific agency.)

Transparency, Tiangco said, is not an option for public officials.

"Transparency should be the standard for everyone in government. And that standard must begin with us," Tiangco said. —VAL, GMA News