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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Senate finance panel files report on P4.506-T budget; main aim: enable PH to overcome COVID-19 pandemic

Senate finance panel files report on P4.506-T budget; main aim: enable PH to overcome COVID-19 pandemic

Published Nov 10, 2020 05:30 pm

Senator Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara on Tuesday formally presented the Senate Committee on Finance’s committee report on the proposed P4.506-trillion national budget for 2021, assuring that next year’s appropriation aims to carve out a path for the Philippines to pull itself out of the COVID-19 pandemic.

(Senate of the Philippines / FILE PHOTO / MANILA BULLETIN)

In a privilege speech during the Senate’s plenary session, Angara said that among the priorities of the 2021 national budget is the strengthening of the country’s health care system and boosting the capabilities of hospitals in battling the coronavirus.
 
He said P16.6-billion will be allocated for the Department of Health’s (DOH) that would be used to hire and pay the salaries and benefits of even more medical frontliners. Some P2.7-billion will be allocated to purchase personal protective equipment (PPEs) for the use of frontliners.
 
The Senate’s version of the measure also sought to increase the allocation for the DOH’s Health Facilities Enhancement Program or HFEP.
 
The proposed 2021 budget will also allot P8-billion for the procurement of COVID-19 vaccines once they become available and another P10-billion as standby funds should the funds need to be augmented as necessary.
 
“Though 2020 has found us neck-deep in crisis, the 2021 budget we are proposing is our primary way of pulling ourselves out. This is a path out of this pandemic. It is a path towards the bright future we are all working for,” Angara said.
 
The senator also said the P19-billion proposed fund for the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) would be retained and the Senate will look for other sources in the budget to augment the Calamity Fund.
 
Opposition senators have earlier asked the Senate to realign some of the funds for the government’s anti-insurgency program to help the victims of the super typhoon Rolly.
 
But Angara assured that the concerns of the senators to increase the calamity fund are well taken and will be addressed.
 
In an online interview, the senator said they did not touch it because that is one of the flagship programs of President Duterte.

“We did not touch the NTF-ELCAC...because that is one of the flagship programs of the President,” the senator said, saying they heeded the request of the Department of Budget and Management (DBM).
 
“The President is very adamant that we solve the underlying problems of insurgency which are not just political or ideological, but it is also development,” he stressed.

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