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On Wednesday, the Senate ratified the final, reconciled version of the 2021 General Appropriations Bill (GAB) hours after the bicameral conference committee approved the panel’s report on the proposed P4.5 trillion budget for 2021.
The harmonized spending measure includes an allocation of P72.5 billion for Covid-19 vaccines, much higher than the P2.5 billion originally proposed by the Department of Budget and Management (DBM).
Of the allocation for vaccines, P2.5 billion are under scheduled funds deposited with the Department of Health (DoH), while P70 billion are under unscheduled allocations, depending on the availability of government revenue.
The top 10 agencies with the most budget allocations for next year are as follows: Education, P708.1 billion; Public Works, P694.8 billion; Health, P287.4 billion; Local government, P247.5 billion; National Defense, P205.5 billion; Social Welfare and Development, P176.7 billion; Transportation, P87.4 billion; Agriculture, P68.6 billion; Judicial power, 44,100 million pesos; and Labor and Employment, P36.6 billion.
Senator Juan Edgardo Angara, chairman of the Senate finance committee, said that the reconciliation of the provisions took time, especially when the previously prepared National Expenditure Program did not foresee “things that are related to Covid and financing for an additional response to calamities. “.
“Hopefully, within the lines of this budget, our people will see that there is indeed a way out of this pandemic and recession and that we are not without hope,” he added.
Angara led the 12-member Senate contingent at the bicam.
Leaders of both houses of Congress previously pledged to ratify the budget Wednesday afternoon to allow time for the coding and printing of the spending bill in book form before it can be presented to President Rodrigo Duterte for his review. sign, hopefully before Congress takes a break. December 18.
Senator Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go, vice chairman of the Senate finance committee, assured that a new budget for 2021 through a General Appropriations Law is sufficient and responds to the needs of the country and the Filipinos.
Go, who also heads the Senate health committee, said he is ensuring that there is adequate funding for the procurement of Covid-19 vaccines, as well as other priority health-related items, such as improvements to health facilities throughout. the country.
The Budget Secretary, Wendel Avisado, had revealed that the government was willing to spend more than 73,000 million pesetas to vaccinate half the population or 60 million Filipinos.
When asked about this, Go said that the necessary funding would be included in the budget.
However, he clarified that the government will also explore other procurement options from national and bilateral sources, multilateral organizations such as the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank, and with the help of the private sector.
Spokesman Lord Allan Velasco said the inscribed spending bill will be sent to Malacañang next week for the president’s signature.
According to Velasco, the P4.506 trillion budget would help the country recover from the coronavirus pandemic and its “devastating impacts.”
“This budget reflects the serious commitment of the Duterte government to defeat Covid-19 and get the economy back on track,” he said.
“When we keep our commitments to our fellow Filipinos and continue to put their interests first, we will surely overcome the health, social and economic impacts of the pandemic,” Velasco added.
Velasco added that several changes introduced by the Chamber were also approved, such as an additional funding of P44.8 billion for the Construir, Construir, Construir program of the Department of Public Works and Highways; P2 billion for the acquisition of personal protective equipment; and P434.4 million for the Health Facilities Improvement Program, P462 million for the Medical Assistance Program for Health and P100 million for the mental health program, all under the Department of Health.
An additional P3.177 billion was also allocated to the Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE), the majority of which is for the Tulong Panghanapbuhay Disadvantaged or Displaced Workers Program of the Secretary’s Office or Tupad.
Meanwhile, the budget for the Emergency Livelihoods and Employment Program and the Government Internship Program (GIP) was increased by P5.09 billion, bringing their total to P19 billion.
Velasco said that the amount will be used for the implementation of the Tupad for workers affected by Covid-19 and for the stipend equivalent to the minimum wage in force in the regions of GIP beneficiaries, who are 18 years or older.
Another P1.6 billion was allocated to the Department of Social Welfare and Development for its alternative family care program, which provides protective services to individuals, families and communities in difficult circumstances, he added.
The Vice Speaker of the House of Representatives and representative of the 1-Pacman Party list, Michael Romero, a contingent member of the bicameral conference, said that in addition to vaccines, the budget also includes P23 billion for the rehabilitation of areas affected by recent typhoons.
With reports from DIVINA NOVA JOY DELA CRUZ
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