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Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 16) – The House of Representatives approved in the third and final reading the proposed national budget of $ 4.5 billion for 2021.
With 267 votes in favor and six against, the General Appropriations Bill was finally approved on Friday, the last day of the extraordinary session called by President Rodrigo Duterte amid the dispute of speakers that would have delayed approval to November.
This was after the lower house, led by then-Speaker of the House Alan Peter Cayetano, abruptly passed the spending bill at second reading, ended plenary debates, and suspended the session until November 16. The measure was seen as a political maneuver to prevent Rep. De Marinduque. Lord Allan Velasco to occupy the first position.
Earlier this week, 186 lawmakers elected Velasco as president, allowing him to preside when the session resumed Tuesday. Then, the House withdrew the second-reading approval of the budget, launching marathon hearings that lasted until after midnight.
Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III said Velasco “promised the best effort” to transmit the bill to the Senate before October 28. It was certified as urgent by President Duterte.
He said a late endorsement could result in a delay, something lawmakers have been trying to avoid so that the budget is not re-enacted.
During plenary debates on Friday, appropriations commission chair Eric Yap said a copy will be sent to the Senate by October 25, so there will be no further reason for a squeezed or delayed budget.
With a renewed budget, the country will be executed using the financial plan from the previous year. Officials said the country cannot afford this, as the proposed 2021 budget includes funds for pandemic response and recovery, including subsidies to ailing industries and the purchase of vaccines.
In his speech, Velasco said that this is “a budget for life and livelihood.” He also congratulated all members of the Chamber for their participation in the approval of the budget.
In an interview with CNN Philippines on Friday night, Yap believes that the Senate has enough time to pass the 2021 national budget because they have already begun their budget deliberations for government agencies and the chamber will resume its session on November 9, a week before the resumption date scheduled for November 16 according to the legislative calendar.
Yap assured that the national budget approved for 2021 by the Lower House has fair allocations for each congressional district, according to the needs and population of their electoral districts. This comes after the misunderstanding about budget allocations that Negros Oriental representative Arnolfo Teves raised to then-Speaker of the House of Representatives Alan Peter Cayetano earlier this month.
“As in Quezon City, there are no farm-to-market roads. In Benguet, you need more farm-to-market roads because it is a vegetable (producing) province,” Yap quoted.
Yap added that bribery and corruption have no place in the 2021 national budget because funds are allocated in line items, which contain a detailed breakdown of the cost of a project that must be completed in one year.
“As in the budget of the Department of Health, it is specified how many vaccines will be assigned in a certain locality and how many hospital beds will be built. In the Department of Education, the number of tablets that will be given and the classrooms that will be built are identified, “Yap said. “This way, we can easily audit whether the allocated funds are being spent correctly, which we will verify using my oversight functions.”
A small committee was also formed with the task of consolidating and finalizing all the proposed amendments to the proposed budget for 2021. Proposed amendments will be submitted until October 19. Committee members include:
Of the majority:
– Majority Leader Martín Romualdez
– Rep. Eric do
– Representative Jack Duavit
– Rep. Joet garcia
– Rep. Joey Salceda
– Rep. Eileen Ermita Buhain
– Representative Bernadette Herrera
– Representative Sharon Garin
– Rep. Doy Leachon
– Representative XJ Romualdo
– Rep. Edgar Sarmiento
– Rep. Luisa Cuaresma
Of the minority:
– Representative Stella Quimbo
– Rep. Edcel Lagman
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