Villar sees more jobs, positive economic outlook after budget OK

MANILA, Philippines — Senator Cynthia Villar expects more employment opportunities and a positive economic outlook after the enactment into law of the 2019 national budget.

President Rodrigo Duterte finally signed on Monday the 2019 General Appropriation Bill, which had been delayed for months in Congress due to alleged “pork” insertions.

Villar welcomed the development.

“Natutuwa po tayo kasi yung budget na yun, maraming employment na maibibigay sa ating mga kababayan and at the same time makakutulong kasi 25 percent of the budget contributes to our economic growth,” she said in an interview in Bulacan on Tuesday.

The signing into law of the budget measure, she said, would also indicate the country’s growing economy.

“Maganda din na nakikita ng mga investors na growing ang economy natin kasi pag bumababa ang economy growth, tingin nila may probema tayo, hindi sila mag-iinvest,” Villar pointed out.

“Pero pag nakikita nilang tumataas ang growth ng ating economy, maraming nag -invest, lalong sumisigla ang ekonomiya, nakakapagbigay ng maraming trabaho sa ating mga kababayan” said the senator.

Since January this year, the government has been operating based on the 2018 budget because of budget delay.

The Senate blamed the House leadership for the delay, accusing them of making unconstitutional realignments in the budget even after its ratification last February.

But the House countered, and accused the Senate of having its own “pork” in the budget.

Despite strong reservations, Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III signed the measure last March 26, which paved the way for its transmittal to the President on the same day. /muf

READ: Sotto signs 2019 national budget with strong reservations

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1099875/sotto-signs-2019-national-budget-with-strong-reservations