Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson has questioned the P180 million allocated for evacuation centers in each of the country’s 17 regions under the proposed 2027 national budget.
Lacson said the proposed allocation, totaling more than P3 billion, lacked details on where the evacuation centers would be built and whether the amount was based on the actual needs of each region.
“We observed that each of the 17 regions was given a P180-million lump sum for evacuation centers. There were no details on where they would be located,” he said in a DZXL interview.
Lacson also questioned the large allocation for “ayuda” or social services, saying the 2027 budget should also prioritize long-term development.
“There’s nothing wrong with ‘ayuda’ but we should also look at the long-term development side of how the budget is used,” the senator said.
Lacson said he had asked his staff to closely examine the proposed budget for items that could turn it into an “election or campaign budget” as the country moves closer to the 2028 elections.IMT
