House passes P5.024 trillion budget for 2022

Edu Punay – The Philippine Star

MANILA, Philippines — The House of Representatives has passed the proposed P5.024-trillion national budget for next year.

Congressmen voted 238-6, with one abstention, in session late Thursday to approve on third and final reading the 2022 General Appropriations Bill (GAB) after one month of hearings and deliberations in both the appropriations committee and plenary.

The GAB mirrored the National Expenditure Program (NEP) submitted by the executive branch to Congress.

But the budget measure would be subjected to amendments and realignments.

Just like in previous years, the plenary tapped a small committee to accept and resolve individual amendments from congressmen to be submitted until Oct. 5.

The panel is headed by appropriations committee chair Eric Go Yap with Majority Leader Martin Romualdez, ways and means committee chair Joey Salceda, deputy minority leader Stella Quimbo and Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman as members.

Before passing the record national budget that will be needed for the government’s pandemic response and recovery programs, the House plenary approved the budget measure on second reading in the same session.

The chamber was able to approve the GAB in second and third readings on the same day after President Duterte certified it as urgent.

Speaker Lord Allan Velasco lauded his colleagues for their cooperation in meeting the chamber’s self-imposed deadline in passing the crucial measure.

“The swift and smooth passage of the proposed 2022 national budget shows our collective commitment and resolve to help our kababayans and economy build back better, and hasten economic recovery through the effective delivery of government services,” Velasco said in his adjournment speech.

“This fiscally responsible budget offers a blueprint to help the country recover fully and effectively from the devastating effects of the pandemic and chart a better path forward,” the Marinduque congressman stressed.

The House leadership had earlier set Sept. 30 as the target date for the passage of the budget measure, being the last session day before the chamber adjourned for a monthlong break in time for the October filing of certificates of candidacy for local and national bets for the May 2022 elections.

Velasco cited the importance of passing the budget on time to avoid a reenacted spending program and pave the way for uninterrupted government operations as the nation continues to battle COVID-19.

The six members of the Makabayan bloc voted against the immediate passage of the GAB as they wanted plenary discussions on the amendments in the proposed budget.

The House approval came more than a month after President Duterte – through the Department of Budget and Management – submitted to Congress the NEP.

The proposed P5.024-trillion national budget for next year is equivalent to 22.8 percent of the country’s gross domestic product and is higher by 11.5 percent than the current 2021 budget.

By sector, social services receives the biggest chunk of the 2022 budget with P1.922 trillion, which will fund health-related services such as continued implementation of the Universal Health Care Act, purchase of COVID-19 vaccines and procurement of personal protective equipment, among others.

Education-related programs, including the implementation of the Universal Access to Tertiary Education, is also prioritized.

Next is the economic services sector, which gets P1.474 trillion largely to support flagship programs under the government’s “Build, Build, Build” infrastructure program.

The general public services sector is allocated with P862.7 billion, debt burden with P541.3 billion and the defense sector with P224.4 billion.

Among departments and agencies, the education sector covering the Department of Education, State Universities and Colleges and the Commission on Higher Education receives the highest allocation with P773.6 billion.

This is followed by the Department of Public Works and Highways with P686.1 billion; Department of the Interior and Local Government, P250.4 billion; Department of Health and Philippine Health Insurance Corp., P242 billion; Department of National Defense, P222 billion; Department of Social Welfare and Development, P191.4 billion; Department of Transportation, P151.3 billion; Department of Agriculture and National Irrigation Authority, P103.5 billion; the judiciary, P45 billion; and Department of Labor and Employment, P44.9 billion.