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The House of Representatives approved a bill on Monday in its third and final reading that extends the availability of this year’s national budget through the end of 2021 to boost the government’s efforts to stimulate the economy.
House Bill No. 6656 amended Republic Law No. 11465, or the General Appropriations Act of 2020, which expires at the end of the year.
“All assignments authorized in this law will be available for release and obligation for the specified purpose, and under the name of applicable special provisions, until December 31, 2021,” said part of the bill.
President Duterte previously certified as urgent bills that would allow the government to continue releasing funds until next year for projects and programs under the 2020 national budget and the Bayanihan to Recover as One Act.
This meant that Congress would not have to observe the three-day rule between second and third reading approval.
Proponents of the extension said it would support the government’s efforts to boost the economy amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
On Friday, the House appropriations panel passed a consolidated bill that extends the validity of COVID-19 appropriations under the Bayanihan 2 Act until June 30, 2021.
The replacement measure consolidated five measures that sought to extend the validity of funds under the law to deal with the pandemic: bills nos. 7957, 7979, 8014, 8063 and 8099 presented by the representatives José Antonio Sy-Alvarado, Joy Myra Tambunting, Ramon Guico III, Luisa Lloren Cuaresma, Joseph Lara, Paolo Duterte, Sharon Garin, Weslie Gatchalian, the spokesman Lord Allan Velasco, the House Majority Leader Martin Romualdez and House appropriations committee chair Eric Go Yap.
The consolidated bill, however, would not expand the president’s power to realign elements in the national budget. His authority to reallocate items in this year’s budget to fund pandemic response measures would still expire on Dec. 19, or when the Bayanihan 2 Act would expire with congressional postponement. INQ
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