A VETERAN lawmaker said the administration’s plan to “right-size” the bureaucracy could mean more funds for crucial personnel in the fields of health, education, and science.
“The idea is scrap unnecessary positions and use them to create essential ones, or use the savings from abolished items to fill the shortage of critical workforce,” Batangas Rep. Ralph G. Recto said in a press release on Tuesday.
Mr. Recto, who also previously served several terms in the Senate, said rightsizing should be guided by improving government service and not simply cutting down on manpower costs.
He did note that the government’s personnel service expenses have more than doubled in the last decade to P1.405 trillion this year from P593 billion in 2012.
“Taxpayers are shelling out P3.850 billion daily for the salary and allowances of national government personnel and the pension of retired servicemen,” he said.
The solon, demonstrating an example, said if rightsizing can trim down the cost by at least P20 billion annually, that savings could be used to recruit more medical workers such as nurses, medical technologists, and doctors.
He also said that more teachers could be hired, which is essential to meet the ideal ratio for a growing population.
Mr. Recto also said the country needs more “engineers, technical and science people” to boost science-driven modernization projects.
“That is why I support this kind of rightsizing,” he said. — Matthew Carl L. Montecillo