Former Budget chief Abad to write on public finance for ����ý

FORMER Budget Secretary Florencio “Butch” Abad has joined ����ý as its newest Opinion columnist.

His column, “Guardrails of the Purse,” will examine the national budget and broader public finance issues — from budget preparation and congressional deliberations to debt management, fiscal transparency, and the design of major spending programs — with a strict eye on what the Constitution has to say about it.

Mr. Abad is uniquely qualified to write about the national budget having been the vice-chair and chairman of the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives from 1995-2004, and Secretary of the Department of Budget and Management during the administration of former President Benigno S.C. Aquino III.

As he writes in his inaugural column, “Public money is, after all, the people’s money. Following how it is raised, allocated, and spent is one of the most important tasks of democratic governance.” (see column: Guardrails Of The Purse)

His column will come out on the 3^rd Tuesday of the month.