Palace: 2021 national budget will focus on COVID-19 impact

MANILA, Philippines — The national budget for 2021 will be focused to support efforts against the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and its impact on the country, Malacañang said on Sunday.

Presidential spokesman Harry Roque Jr. said the 2021 budget will be different from that of this year as it will include provisions on efforts against COVID-19.

“‘Yung darating na budget for 2021 na isusumite natin sa mga buwang Hulyo, ibang iba po ang hitsura niyan ‘no. Siyempre po ang buong budget nakatutok din sa COVID-19 habang wala ngang tayong bakuna,” he said in an interview over dzBB.

(The 2021 budget that will be submitted in July will be different from this year’s budget since it will be focused on COVID-19 efforts as long as we still don’t have a vaccine.)

“Siyempre ‘yung budget sa 2021 will be the first COVID-19 budget ng ating gobyerno,” Roque added.

(The budget for 2021 will be the first COVID-19 budget of our government.)

Roque said that at present, there is still sufficient funds for the social amelioration program and other relief for those affected by the COVID-19 crisis as provided under the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act.

President Rodrigo Duterte earlier signed into law the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act, which allowed him to exercise additional powers to contain the spread of the COVID-19.

However, moving forward, there will be projects that have to be sacrificed in order to allocate funds for efforts against the pandemic.

Malacañang earlier said Duterte may ask Congress to pass a supplemental budget to augment funds for the government’s response against the pandemic.

READ: Duterte may ask Congress for more funds for COVID-19 response

/MUF