The House of Representatives ratified on Wednesday, Dec. 15 the bicameral conference committee report on the proposed 2022 General Appropriations Act allocating P5.024-trillion for national expenditures next year.
Ratification came on the last session day for the year, with the proposed budget measure readied to be sent for signing by President Rodrigo Duterte, who will serve his last six months as president in 2022.
Lower House leaders said the national budget should still be considered a COVID-19 response allocation.
However, the chamber’s opposition rejected the bill, with Deputy Minority Leader and Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Isagani Zarate stressing that there remains a need to improve the budget measure ‘to make it a truly COVID-19 pandemic responsive measure.” “IN the main, the bicam should have completely defunded the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) instead of still giving it a gargantuan P17-billion budget. These funds, rather than be spent on red tagging, spreading of fake news and pork barrel, can be better utilized in ramping up our COVID response, especially with new rampaging variants, and, helping our suffering people,” said Zarate.
Gabriela Partylist Rep. Arlene Brosas also decried the small allocation given to the COVID-19 response.
On the other hand, ACT Teachers Parytlist Rep. France Castro said the Department of Education budget for the year makes it appear that face-to-face classes will not be pursued next year.
Speaker Lord Allan Velasco hailed the ratification of the budget measure which was in consonance with the intended schedule.
In a message to his Lower House colleagues, Velasco cited lawmakers for their contributions in pursuing vital legislative measures that would help the country rebound following the CoVID-19 devastation.
“IN 2021, we began to rise and rebuild as a nation.l We instituted reforms, revised and implemented programs to ensure the health and safety of everyone as we kep the legislative mill running. We refused to be defined by hardship and loss,” he said.
“If there is one thing that the pandemic has shown us, it is that we are stronger than we knew,” the House leader stated.
He said: “We are more capable that we realized. We have seen that there is more that unites us than divides us.” “In the past year, the House of Representatives carried the duty of crafting policies to shepherd the Philippines towards recovery. All of us played important roles in this monumental responsibility,” Speaker Velasco said.