The Senate with 22 affirmative votes, no negative and no abstention, passed on third and final reading the proposed P4.506 trillion national budget.
The Senate approved House Bill No. 7727 or the General Appropriations Act of 2021, which includes funding to strengthen the government’s COVID- 19 response, provide assistance to victims of calamities, and support economic recovery.
Senator Sonny Angara, chairman of the Committee on Finance, acknowledged the contribution of his colleagues in shaping the final version of the budget bill.
“Even though we were recently bombarded with serious challenges, the Senate was still able to scrutinize the 2021 general appropriations bill and stay on schedule towards its timely enactment.”
“I thank the leadership, our colleagues, of course, our staff for even though we were recently bombarded with serious challenges including typhoons, floods, power outages, connectivity problems, and of course, the existing global pandemic, the Senate was still able to scrutinize the 2021 general appropriations bill and stay on schedule towards its timely enactment,” Angara said.
The Senate also designated Senators Angara, Pia Cayetano, Cynthia Villar, Panfilo M. Lacson Joel Villanueva, Win Gatchalian, Dick Gordon, Bong Go, Imee Marcos, Risa Hontiveros, Grace Poe and Kiko Pangilinan to form the Senate panel in the bicameral conference committee with Manny Pacquiao, Bato dela Rosa, Nancy Binay and Bong Revilla Jr. as alternates.
Under the Senate version of the budget bill, P8 billion under the Department of Health-Office of the Secretary and P54 billion under unprogrammed appropriation were set aside for the purchase of COVID-19 vaccines, mass immunization, and for the storage, transportation and distribution of vaccines. The budget of the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine was also increased.
Also, a significant increase went to the allocation for DOH regional hospitals and other healthcare institutions particularly to allow them to increase their bed capacity and to upgrade equipment and facilities.
Allocation for calamities and disaster response was also augmented with the funding for the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Fund at P21 billion.
The Senate also increased teachers’ allowance from P3,500 to P5,000.
“The amendments we propose demonstrate that we are doubling down on our commitment to respond more effectively to the pandemic.”
“The amendments we propose demonstrate that we are doubling down on our commitment to respond more effectively to the pandemic, our motivation to help more of our people struck by calamity and our single-minded focus on restarting the economy,” Angara said.
“Ultimately, what we have is an improved version, where funds are poured into the programs, activities and projects that deserve it the most,” the veteran legislator concluded.