COTABATO CITY – Sub-committees of both chambers of Congress have approved the proposed 2010 budget worth P9.827 billion of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) submitted by ARMM Gov. Datu Zaldy Uy Ampatuan.

The regional governor had earlier proposed a budget of P12.632 billion but the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) trimmed it down to a ceiling of P9.827 billion.

The finance and appropriations sub-committee of the Senate gave its nod on September 30, and the House of Representatives’ on Tuesday during their respective budget hearings, a statement from the ARMM’s Bureau of Public Information (BPI) said.

Ampatuan welcomed both chambers’ approval, expressing his gratitude and appreciation.

“With these support from our legislative leaders, I am more confident that we could surpass the challenges and trials we are facing in the region in our persistent quest for a more sustainable peace and development in the ARMM,” said the ARMM chief executive.

At the Senate, Senator Loren Legarda, who met Ampatuan in her office before the hearing, stressed the need to help the region in its funding requirements to raise the quality of education, health and other social services.

Legarda, chairperson of the Senate Finance and Appropriations Sub-Committee, made special mention of the plight of the hundreds of thousands of evacuees or internally displaced persons (IDPs) in ARMM who need urgent attention.

“I assure you of my 200 percent support for the approval of your budget. This is just the beginning of our partnership with the administration of Regional Governor (Datu Zaldy Uy) Ampatuan and the people of the autonomous region,” Legarda said.

“I hope during my incumbency, I can help in upgrading, especially, the health facilities and services in the ARMM,” the lady senator said as she vowed to help the ARMM secure funding assistance from international donor programs and institutions for the welfare of the IDPs.

ARMM’s proposed budget for 2010 is lower by 1.7 percent – P167.562 million – compared to the autonomous government’s 2009 approved budget of P9.994 billion.

This prompted Tawi-Tawi Rep. Nur Jaafar, chairman of the Finance and Appropriations Sub-Committee, to end the budget hearing quickly as all the committee members gave the nod to the ARMM’s 2010 budget.

“We have to dispense with the formal and traditional presentations because as far as I have observed the region’s proposed budget for 2010 has no increase or changes, it is even lower than its previous budget for 2009,” Jaafar said.

The regional governor led ARMM officials in the presentation and defense of the 2010 proposed budget.

ARMM is composed of the provinces of Basilan, Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi and the city of Marawi.