THE ALLIANCE of Concerned Teachers lauded the Senate’s move to reallocate P152 million in confidential funds and to slash the Department of Education’s P150 million confidential funds by P100 million.

“The Senate’s move is a very positive step towards our goal of correcting the gross misallocations in the 2023 budget,” Vladimer Quetua, the group’s chairperson, said.

“We will be watching closely the bicameral conference committee meeting on the 2023 budget to ensure that such changes will stay, and push for the rechannelling of more confidential and intelligence funds to urgent needs in education and other social services, such as the P4.5 billion confidential and intelligence funds for the Office of the President and the P500 million confidential fund of the Office of the Vice President in 2023,” Quetua added.

The group called on the members of the bicameral conference committee to get their priorities straight.

“Our people’s top problem now is hunger and poverty amid low wages and rising prices of goods,” Quetua said.

“Pero lubhang kulang ang laan na pondo sa 2023 para sa ayuda sa mahihirap, pagpapasigla ng lokal na ekonomiya, paglikha ng trabaho, at libre at de-kalidad na serbisyo sosyal. Dapat lang na sinupin ang pera ng taumbayan, ilipat sa serbisyo ang mga pondong naaaksaya sa mga gawaing hindi kapaki-pakinabang sa mamamayan,” he added.