Senators ready to tackle amendments to 2022 national budget
Some senators on Monday, Nov. 8 expressed readiness to tackle the amendments to the proposed P5-trillion national budget.
Senator Sonny Angara, who chairs the Senate Finance Committee, said the many of the committee report amendments are focused on boosting the government’s COVID-19 response, including the benefits and allowances of healthcare workers.
Angara said he is now finalizing the committee report for next year’s budget as the Senate begins its plenary deliberations this week.
“Many of the committee report amendments are still about our COVID response and health related interventions: salaries benefits and allowances of health workers; added funds for booster vaccines, testing, tracing; improving health facilities; funding of medical scholarship law,” Angara said in a message to reporters.
“Even the recommendations of our vice chairpersons for the departments they handle are to learn to cope or live with the virus: help to affected sectors; helping our school system adjust to the resumption of face to face classes, among others,” he added.
Sen. Panfilo “Ping” Lacson said he will definitely introduce amendments especially in the budgets of key government agencies that he found questionable.
“Definitely, amendments will be introduced at least from my end. Base pa lamang sa mga committee hearings na nadaluhan ko, meron na agad na mga issues na dapat suriin pang mabuti sa (Just base on the committee hearings I attended, there are already so many issues that need to be scrutinized during) plenary debates,” Lacson said in a statement.
“We cannot overemphasize the importance of the budget for 2022, because it will be the first for the new administration as it faces humongous problems - including the heavy task of leading the nation to recovery from the effects of the pandemic,” he added.
Senate President Vicente Sotto III said senators will hold a caucus this afternoon to discuss the 2022 budget.
Both Sotto and Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri assured there would be no reenacted budget.
Sotto said he hopes next year’s proposed budget would be passed by the first week of December.