Budget reform advocates Friday welcomed the Palace initiative to rework the 2011 national budget, conceding that it provides an avenue to make it more climate-sensitive.

La Liga Policy Institute (La Liga) environment campaigner Jonathan Ronquillo said that with this move, President Benigno Aquino III may just consider climate change as a national development issue.

“This is also an opportune time for citizens’ groups to provide inputs to the crafting of the Medium Term Philippine Development Plan (MTPDP) under the new administration,” Ronquillo added.

La Liga was reacting to Malacañang’s pronouncement that it is now in the process of “reworking” the 2011 national budget, giving premium to social and economic services particularly in education, health and environment.

Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda earlier announced the proposed P1.75-trillion national budget for 2011 may be reduced as the new administration plans to observe zero-based budgeting for the entire bureaucracy.

The proposed outlay, entitled “Tungo sa Tuwid na Paggugol,” highlights transparency, accountability and good governance, delivery of basic social services like public education and health, economic services like infrastructure and stable and safe environment.

Malacañang is set to submit its proposed national expenditure program for 2011 to Congress before August 25, a month after President Aquino delivered his first State-of-the-Nation Address (SoNA).

La Liga, a development policy research and advocacy non-government organization (NGO), acts as the secretariat of the Environment Cluster of the Alternative Budget Initiative (ABI) within the network of Social Watch Philippines.

It has been calling for increased budget allocation for the environment and natural resources sector to prepare the country for the worst impact of climate change.

With support of the British Embassy, La Liga is campaigning for low-carbon development through the project “In Pursuit of a Low-Carbon Development Track and Climate-Sensitive Budget.”

“The Philippines is highly vulnerable to climate change. We have been experiencing intensifying typhoons that cause loss of lives and property and adverse impacts to the national economy.  It is about time that the government takes the challenge posed by climate change as a national development issue,” Ronquillo stressed.

Ronquillo said the country’s budget for the environment and natural resources sector should be increased to a level equivalent to at least one percent of the annual budget.