After two hours of interpellation, the Senate has finally ratified the proposed ₱4.5 trillion- national budget for the year 2021.
The approved appropriations will enable the government to widen its COVID-19 response and boost the economy’s chances at recovering from the slump caused by the pandemic.
Sen. Sonny Angara is confident that the budget will help ” improve our response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, to assist not only those stricken by calamity but also poverty disease and homelessness and ultimately to shine a light on the path to our recovery and return to normalcy”.
Having the biggest share of the pie is the Department of Education with ₱708 billion, followed by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) with ₱694.8 billion despite unsettled issues on some of its projects.
Senator Panfilo Lacson manifested his dissenting vote on the bicameral conference report after he questioned “what is the logic in further increasing the budget of the agency in 2021 considering the challenges brought about by the pandemic.… Ang (The) average po ng (of) underspending or unused appropriations ng (of the) agency over the years mentioned is ₱81.9 billion.”
Sen. Lacson reasoned that the funds of the DPWH are just wasted on questionable projects. Still, ₱28.3 billion were added by the Bicameral Panel to the agency’s budget next year. The DPWH was even granted a bigger allocation as compared to the Department of Health.
Sen. Lacson also raised that the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) is more in need of funds for its National Broadband Program but only ₱1 billion were added for its coffers next year.
The Department of Health fell third among top ten agencies with the highest funding following the DPWH. This includes the agency’s allocation together with that of Philhealth and the monies needed to purchase vaccines.
“Kapag may safe at effective na vaccine na po sang-ayon po ako sa plano ng ating pangulo na unahin ang mga mahihirap, mga parte ng vulnerable sector, ang ating mga frontliners tulad po ng mga guro, medical workers and medical personnel. Patuloy po ang koordinasyon natin sa executive (Once a safe and effective vaccine is available, I am amenable with the President’s plan to prioritize the poor, parts of the vulnerable sector, the frontliners like teachers, medical workers and medical personnel. Coordination with the executive is ongoing),” Sen. Christopher Bong Go cited
Fourth on the list is the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) followed by the Department of National Defense with ₱205.5 billion. The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Department of Transportation (DOTr), Department of Agriculture, the Judiciary and the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) make up the rest of the top ten.
The ratified budget is expected to be submitted to Malacañang for the President’s signature before the year ends. – Report from Eunice Samonte
