Binay: Mindanao gets only 9% of money pie

by Philippine Daily Inquirer

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/regions/view/20100223-255012/Binay-Mindanao-gets-only-9-of-money-pie

A TOP OPPOSITION LEADER SAID MINdanao is getting only 9 percent but deserves a “guaranteed” 30 percent of the country’s annual budget because it was the island’s rightful share of national income.

Jejomar Binay, Makati City mayor and candidate for vice president, said future national budgets should reverse “imperial Manila’s neglect” of Mindanao.

He said the same share should apply to lump sums in the national budget, including funds for school buildings and allocations in the Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization Act.
“The bottom line is that 30 percent of nonpayroll and nonadministrative overhead expenses of the national government should be given to Mindanao,” said Binay in the statement.

Binay, who has gone around the country to establish sisterhood ties between his city and those in rural areas, said Mindanao would only receive about 9 percent of this year’s national budget of P1.54 trillion.

“The national budget that Ms Arroyo signed last week contains obscene amounts for Mindanaoans which are not commensurate to their contributions to the economy,” Binay said.

He said the budget showed that Mindanao was getting only P148 billion this year.