Taking her summons for a "shared sacrifice" in confronting the government’s fiscal problems a step farther, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo today said she was prepared to match the cuts in the development funds of members of Congress and the Internal Revenue Allotments (IRAs) of local government units (LGUs) with a similar reduction of the President’s Social Fund.

In a radio interview over RMN and PBS Radyo ng Bayan this morning, the President offered to undertake further slashes in the budget of the Office of the President in keeping with her commitment to lead the sacrifice in meeting the challenges posed by the government’s burgeoning budget deficit and borrowings.

The truth of the matter is that the President’s Social Fund had undergone whittling down since she assumed the presidency, she said. "In fact, in the last three years of my administration, the total is only P1 billion, total na ’yon, hindi taon-taon. (That’s the total for three years, not annually), she added.

Still, she is ready for further cuts if necessary, she said.

The President stressed that the government, from the Office of the President down to the LGUs, must economize its resources to maximize savings and reduce the budget deficit.

The President’s call for support of the government’s austerity program came on the heels of opposition by some quarters in the bureaucracy against proposed cuts in their budgets.

Some LGUs have voiced opposition to the proposed reduction of their IRAs, while others have maintained a wait and see attitude.

At least nine senators have expressed their support for reduction of their development funds. A group of congressmen have also signaled their willingness to reduce their pork barrel in support of Malacañang’s efforts to apply the break to the ballooning budget deficit.

"The President’s call for the lawmakers to exercise austerity measures will be equally shared by the departments and agencies under the executive branch, the Office of the President included," Presidential Spokesman Ignacio Bunye also said this morning in a statement.

"The nation must be like one house and one home, where everybody carries the burden when crisis strikes," Bunye added.

He said whatever funds are held in reserve will be earmarked only for the most vital and pro-poor projects.