LACSON TO SCRUTINIZE DUBIOUS FARM-TO-MARKET ROADS, ‘AYUDA’ PROGRAMS, SUPER HEALTH CENTERS THAT BENEFITED FROM FLOOD CONTROL PROJECT FUNDS  

SENATE President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson intends to scrutinize potentially dubious farm-to-market roads, “ayuda” programs and “Super Health Centers” that “benefited” from some P255.5 billion from flood control project funds of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) in the 2026 budget.

Lacson said an initial check of the realignments showed the funds went to these items, as well as some “ayuda” programs that may be funded by unprogrammed appropriations.

Part of the realignments also went to the Health Facility Enhancement Program (HFEP) that funds the Super Health Centers, he added.

“Much of the realignments went to farm-to-market roads. The question is, is the list of such roads from the Department of Agriculture or from congressmen?” Lacson said.

“Some ayuda programs are to be funded by unprogrammed appropriations. We intend to uproot these and return them to the regular budget,” he added.

Lacson said he will move to consolidate funds for “ayuda” and social services under the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), a program that will vet and provide qualified families with livelihood and education.

He also pushed for the realignment of some P2 billion for “Tulong Dunong” scholarship program of legislators to the Free Tertiary Education Act.

On Tuesday, Lacson said the Senate will move to strike out “alien” and “turo-turo” items – along with unprogrammed appropriations not tied to foreign-assisted projects – from the 2026 budget bill which it will start tackling next week.

Lacson said “alien” refers to items not in the disagreeing provisions of the Senate and House versions of the budget bill, while “turo-turo” refers to whimsical, arbitrary and patronage-based programs.

He said the Senate will move to realign “turo-turo” items to funding meaningful programs like Universal Health Care (UHC).

Lacson said he has discussed with Sen. Win Gatchalian the consolidation of funds for Medical Assistance to Indigent and Financially Incapacitated Patients (MAIFIP) to the UHC. This will remove from lawmakers the “burden” of issuing guarantee letters as the Department of Health will now determine what assistance to provide to needy patients.

“Our work as lawmakers is to legislate and exercise oversight, not to implement laws,” he said.

“Let’s make our programs systematic, and not whimsical, arbitrary and patronage-based,” he stressed.