P2.6-T budget for 2015 to be approved next week

(Malacanang stock photo)

MANILA – The proposed P2.606-trillion national budget for 2015 is scheduled for the House of Representatives’ approval on third and final reading next week.

“We intend to approve it before next weekend’s Halloween recess,” Davao City Rep. Isidro Ungab, appropriations committee chairman, said in a text message published by the Philippine Star yesterday.

“It will be sent to the Senate after its approval on final reading,” he said.

Ungab added that the committee is currently printing the said proposal following its passage on second reading.

He also said that budget proposed by President Aquino has not gone any major changes.

“There are no major changes in the budget as proposed by President Aquino,” he added.

He said that prior to printing, the committee itemized all the allocations that will be funded with the P21 billion worth of financial assistance to the local government units (LGUs).

This allocation has been criticized and labeled as the pork barrel of LGUs under Interior Secretary Mar Roxas.

Ungab said that while they have included the details of the barangay and LGU projects that was allocated under the fund, some LGUs are yet to finalize their projects.

“We have asked them to submit those to us and we included them in the detailed listing of projects,” he said.

“These projects, together with details such as amount of funding and location, will be published in the budget so that the people and public expenditure watchdogs can monitor their implementation,” Isabela Rep. Rodolfo Albano III said.