The Senate approved on third and final reading on Monday afternoon the proposed 2019 General Appropriations Bill that would provide the government P3.757 trillion to fund its programs and operations this year.
Despite the delay, the Senate stayed true to its promise to have the GAB approved before the end of January.
Fourteen senators unanimously voted for the passage of the priority measure. There were no negative votes or abstention.
The passage of the proposed national budget came two months after its late approval in the House of Representatives last November.
The delay was blamed on the controversy on the alleged insertion of “parked pork barrel” funds into the government’s spending program.
The Senate’s approval will pave way for the Congress bicameral conference committee to finalize the provisions of its version of the 2019 budget and its counterpart House Bill 8169.
The Senate contingent to the bicameral conference committee will be led by Sen. Loren B. Legarda, chairperson of the Senate Finance Committee, with Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph G. Recto, Senate Majority Leader Miguel F. Zubiri, Senate Minority Leader Franklin M. Drilon, and Senators Cynthia A. Villar, Panfilo M. Lacson, Nancy Binay, JV Ejercito, and Bam Aquino as members.
Besides the amendments raised during the plenary discussion on the national budget, Senate President Vicente C. Sotto III said senators also submitted their proposed revisions to the GAB over the last four days.
Before its approval on final reading, Loren presented the Senate’s amendments to the GAB.
These include the restoration of the Department of Health’s P16.796-billion fund for the Health Facilities Enhancement Program and the provision of an additional P4.797 billion of the P7-billion requirement for Human Resource for Health Development.
Under the Department of Education budget, Loren said the Senate provided P800 million for the allowance of teachers, which will be distributed during the World Teachers’ Day on October.
Additional allocations for DepEd include the increase in its quick response fund, allocations for school-based feeding program, Quality Teacher and Development Program, computerization program, textbooks, and other instructional materials, she added.
State universities and colleges would be provided an additional P2.973 billion for the implementation of the system of evaluation and promotion of SUC faculty members, which increases their compensation.
Loren said the Department of Labor and Employment’s proposed outlay for this year was also increased to fund the emergency repatriation of overseas Filipino workers, worker protection and welfare program, employment facilitation program, and government internship program. (Vanne Terrazola)
