[ad_1]
MANILA, Philippines – After more than two weeks of committee-level deliberations, the House of Representatives began addressing the proposed P4.5 trillion national budget for 2021 in plenary on Monday.
This comes after the House appropriations committee passed House Bill No. 7727, which proposes the 2021 National Spending Program, during an executive meeting on Friday.
READ: House panel approves national proposal for 2021
According to the schedule provided by the House media office, Monday’s deliberations will begin with the chair of appropriations, Rep. Eric Yap, who will sponsor House Bill No. 7727, and discussions on the principles will follow. General and the provisions of the measure to be sponsored by Representative Joey Salceda.
Representative Horacio Suansing will then sponsor the budget project of the Department of Finance, including its attached agencies and corporations, while Representative Junie Cua will defend the budget of the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) and its attached agencies and corporations.
Monday’s discussions are expected to end with the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council’s budget deliberations to be sponsored by Representative Michael John Duavit.
According to the House calendar, sponsorship and floor deliberations on the proposed 2021 budget will run through October 7.
Following the approval of the measure by the appropriations committee, Yap appealed to the cooperation, unity and professionalism of his colleagues in the lower house, as the proposed budget now goes to the plenary for further discussion.
It is in the plenary room where it is expected that adjustments in the budget will be made if there are any.
“This is the people’s budget and it is our obligation to ensure that the National Budget is not only approved on time but ultimately responds to the growing needs of our compatriots,” Yap told his colleagues.
“More work needs to be done and I am hopeful that the entire budget process will not be delayed by any problems that Congress may face in the coming days,” he added.
Budget Secretary Wendel Avisado previously said that the proposed P4.506 trillion budget for 2021 is 9.9 percent higher than the 2020 budget.
The proposed budget, Avisado said, focuses on government spending to improve the country’s health systems, ensure food security, create more jobs by investing in labor-intensive projects, enable a government and a digital economy and helping communities cope.
For the health sector, Avisado said that budget support will be provided to the National Health Insurance Program, medical assistance to indigent patients, human resources for health programs and programs to improve health facilities, among others.
“NEP 2021 will also reserve funds for the acquisition of the COVID-19 vaccine and the supply of PPE to DOH hospitals, laboratories and centers,” said Avisado.
The budget secretary also said that the national government will also continue to promote the Build, Build, Build program to boost infrastructure development and promote employment.
“To help communities cope with and prevail in these difficult times, the NEP (National Expenditure Program) for fiscal year 2021 will also prioritize government programs that will help improve the productivity of the agricultural and fishing sector, accelerate the recovery of the MSMEs and will develop e -competitiveness of local industries ”, said Avisado.
“Each peso of NEP P4.506-T FY 2021 is aimed at saving lives and protecting communities, while strengthening and streamlining various sectors of the economy,” he added.
Committee-level budget deliberations in the House showed some disagreement among some legislators.
For example, during the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) budget briefing, Negros Oriental representative Arnolfo Teves Jr. questioned the distribution of funds among Congressional districts, particularly those of President Alan Peter. Cayetano and Vice President Luis Raymund Villafuerte in Taguig. City and Camarines Sur, respectively.
Recent arguments over the proposed national budget for 2021 have led many to question whether this is related to the shared term agreement between Cayetano and Marinduque representative Lord Allan Velasco.
KGA
Read next
EDITOR’S SELECTION
MOST READ
Subscribe to INQUIRER PLUS to get access to The Philippine Daily Inquirer and more than 70 other titles, share up to 5 gadgets, listen to the news, download from 4am and share articles on social media. Call 896 6000.
[ad_2]
