Senate President Vicente Sotto III assured on Saturday, Nov. 21, that the P4.5-trillion 2021 national budget will hurdle Congress early December.
"Tiyak 'yon (That's for sure)," Sotto said in an interview with radio DWIZ when asked on the passage of the budget by December.
Sotto said he is looking at the possible ratification of the measure in the Senate on December 6.
"Dahil siguradong sasabihin sa amin ng Presidente, huwag kaming magbabakasyon hangga't hindi namin pinapasa (Because the President will tell us not to go on a break without passing it)," he said in jest.
The Senate closed early Saturday morning the period of interpellations on the General Appropriations Bill. The chamber's leaders are eyeing to approve it on second and third reading Tuesday, November 24.
"Marami kaming natuklasan na hindi napansin na kailangan, o kailangan bawasan, o may mga umaabuso, 'yong mga ganon (We have discovered several items that needed funding but were unnoticed, or those that we have to cut, or those that are abused)," Sotto said as they ended their marathon sessions on the budget bill.
Among others, he said the Senate will augment Department of Health's P18-billion budget for the purchase of vaccines to also cover storage and delivery expenses.
Senators also pushed for increased funding for the National Broadband Program (NBP) under the Department of Information and Communication Technology's budget to improve connectivity in the country.
The DICT had requested for P18 billion to complete the NBP, but was given only P902 million by the Department of Budget and Management.
The House of Representatives, in its approved GAB, earmarked an additional P2 billion for the program, which the Senate finance committee augmented with another P3 billion.
Sotto said they would look for funding sources from the proposed budget to raise the program's allocation to at least P9 billion next year.
The Senate leader said he believes they will not have problems with their counterparts in the House when they take up their differing amendments to the budget bill in the bicameral conference committee.
"Sapagkat mapapag-usapan naman sa bicam (Because we can amicably settle these in the bicam)" he said.