Proceedings of the first Independence congress : held in the city of Manila, Philippine islands, February 22-26, 1930 / Published under the direction of Dean maximo M. Kalaw, executive secretary, University of the Philippines.

DEFENSE AND COMMUNICATIONS

255

Because it treats of a very important point since it involves
millions of pesos of the State, permit me, gentlemen, to extend
the question a little bit more.
In 1927 when they initiated the apportionment of the "pork
barrel", there was a total of fifty-one approved projects, the cost
of which was calculated to be P12,847,543, and for which they
hardly disposed of P872,000. Of these fifty-one projects, only
seven received a continuous apportionment of funds up to the
present year, amounting to P522,000 while seventeen others
continued also to the present but with intermittent budgets.
On the other hand, thirteen projects were totally abandoned
after an initial investment of P143,000 which may be counted
as lost.
In 1928, twenty-three projects of the previous year were
left and there were added thirty-four new projects for which
were needed P5,795,108, but which received only P892,000.
Of the said thirty-four new projects, five received continuous
appropriation to the amount of P290,000 and thirteen which
continued up to the present but with an intermittent appropriation which amounts to P373,000. The other thirteen
projects were totally cancelled that year, after having had initial
expenses valued P132,000.
In 1929 there were left thirty-three projects begun in the
two previous years and to them were added thirty-seven new
projects with a cost calculated to be P7,381,786 and for which
was obtained the sum of P567,000. Of these thirty-seven
new projects, fourteen were carried on to the present with an
appropriation of P364,000, having cancelled or abandoned the
works of the other twenty-three after having spent in them
the amount of P357,000.
And we come to the present year, 1930, with a total of
seventy-eight projects in which thirty-eight are new with an
appropriation of P6,0,44,768. Of this amount, however, they
hardly got P892,000. We do not know how many of these
projects would continue in the subsequent years and how
many would be completely abandoned.