via ABS-CBN News, 22 July 2020: Covid-19 leads to budget cuts for heritage. An ominous sign of things to come, not just in the Philippines, but all around the region too.
The National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) on Wednesday said its funding for the restoration of heritage sites was removed from the 2021 budget as the government seeks to allocate more funds for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) crisis.
After the government reallocated the NHCP’s P100 million fund for COVID-19-related projects, the agency’s P300-million capital outlay for 2021 was also removed from the budget, NHCP Deputy Executive Director for Programs and Projects Alvin Alcid told senators.
“We wrote to the Department of Budget and Management for an appeal para ibalik ‘yung budget para sa capital outlay, specifically for restoration of heritage structures,” Alcid told the Senate Committee on Basic Education, Arts and Culture.
