ARMM will have its biggest budget in 2015

COTABATO CITY (Sept. 23)— Since it was created in 1990, the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) will have its biggest ever budget allocation next year.Regional Gov. Mujiv Hataman on Wednesday said the region has successfully defended its P24.299 billion budget for 2015.He said thebudget was in anticipation of the passage of the Bangsamoro Basic Law and its eventual approval by its constituents in a plebiscite next year.The draft law, once approved, will replace the current ARMM government. Maguindanao and Cotabato City Representative Bai Sandra Sema sponsored the ARMM 2015 budget at the House Plenary, against the grilling of Bayan Muna Party-List Representative Carlos Isagani Zarate and Zamboanga City Congressman Celso Lobregat,” Hataman said.He said the new budget was higher by 16.04 percent compared to the 2014 P20.4-billion budget, and was way higher than the 36.62 percent allotted to the ARMM in 2013.Hataman said when he assumed office as officer-in-charge in 2011, the regional budget was pegged at 11.1 billion. The fund, as in the years before that, was spent on salaries and other operating expenses.Hataman said the 16-percent budget increase for ARMM would be spent on capability building for the incoming new entity that was expected to replace the ARMM aside from the usual obligation for salaries and maintenance and other operating expenditures.