Senate receives House-approved 2020 budget bill

Angara said the panel would consolidate all of the submissions into the committee report during the congressional break, and once sessions resume, the budget bill would be sponsored in the plenary. (File Photo: Senate of the Philippines/Facebook)

MANILA — The Senate on Tuesday received the House-approved General Appropriations Bill for 2020, which provides for the proposed PHP4.1-trillion national budget for next year.

Senator Sonny Angara, chair of the Senate committee on finance, confirmed this development in a statement sent to reporters.

“Our finance subcommittees are completing the hearings on the proposed budgets of the last few agencies,” Angara said.

Angara said the panel would consolidate all of the submissions into the committee report during the congressional break, and once sessions resume, the budget bill would be sponsored in the plenary.

The committee chairman committed to transmitting the 2020 national budget to Malacañang for signature before the year ends.

“The Senate will work overtime to approve this most important piece of legislation so that the measure will be with the President for signing before the end of the year,” he said.

On Monday, Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano said the House proposed institutional amendments to the proposed PHP4.1 trillion national budget for 2020, particularly the realignment of PHP9.52 billion.

Cayetano enumerated the agencies that will be funded from the realignment: Department of Agriculture, Department of National Defense, Department of the Interior and Local Government-Philippine National Police, Department of Education, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Department of Health, UP-Philippine General Hospital, Department of Transportation, Philippine Sports Commission, Dangerous Drugs Board, National Electrification Administration, and Metropolitan Manila Development Authority.

The House of Representatives has identified two sources of funds, which have been realigned to augment the funding for priority programs, in line with the President’s priorities. These include PHP3.75 billion for the right of way payments under the Department of Public Works and Highways and PHP5.7 billion for the operational expenses for the Sangguniang Kabataan ang Barangay Election which will not push through next year.