NABAHALA sina Senadora Imee Marcos at Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon sa panukalang bawasan ang proposed budget sa Philippine Science High School at Food and Nutrition Research Institute.

Sa hybrid marathon session deliberating sa panukalang budget ng Department of Science and Technology, pinuna ni Marcos ang P87 milyong tapyas sa PSHS budget at ang P321 milyong cut sa budget ng FNRI.

Sinabi ni Marcos na hindi maganda ang panahon ng tapyas sa budget dahil nataon ito sa panahon na nahaharap ang bansa sa problema sa supply chain at logistics at banta sa national food security.

“We recommend that we take a look once again at the projects that will be severely impacted in the food and nutrition research so direly needed in this time,” saad ni Marcos.

“There is also a significant budget cut for the Philippine Science High School, which as we know, is the home of the best and the brightest Filipino students. I am deeply concerned by the threat it poses against the scholarship of our brilliant but impoverished PSHS students,” dagdag nito.

Kinuwestyon naman ni Drilon ang pagbabawas sa DOST budget ng P1.12 bilyon mula sa P24.916 bilyon ngayong 2021 sa P23.793 bilyon sa susunod na taon.

“This is a little bit worrisome. I would like to suggest to the good vice chairman of the finance committee to give this a good review and if merited, we should restore it. We appeal to our colleagues to take a good look at the budget of this whole agency,” saad ni Drilon.

Nangako naman si Senador Joel Villanueva na muling bubusisiin ang budget cut. (DANG SAMSON-GARCIA)