Members of both houses of Congress have agreed to prioritize the funding for the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) vaccines at the bicameral conference committee for the proposed 2021 national budget.
Amid disagreements between some solons and senators over infrastructure projects due to issues on budget insertion and fund adjustments for some districts, House Appropriations Committee Chairperson Eric Yap is not expecting a complicated discussion on this.
Yap and Senator Sonny Angara have been tasked to discuss budget amendments. Yap assured they will be transparent on the matter.
The lawmakers are also set to focus on calamity funds amid the series of typhoons and disasters that hit the country this year. They are aiming to finish the bicameral conference this week for the targeted budget ratification next week.
Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said “it has to be this month” because it will still be published.
“At siempre kinakailangan din ng kaunting panahon naman ng Presidente natin para busisiin at tingnan kung siya’y mayroong linya o line veto na gagawin sa budget (The President also needs time to review and go over the nitty-gritty to see if there is something to line-item veto),” Roque said.
“But we hope if not this week, [it will be] next week because baka maubusan po ng panahon (we may run out of time),” he added. – Report from Daniel Manalastas
