House speaker urges ‘swift, smooth’ passage of P5-trillion 2022 nat’l budget

MANILA, Philippines — Speaker Lord Allan Velasco called on members of the House of Representatives on Thursday for the “swift and smooth” passage of the proposed 2022 national budget worth P5.024-trillion.

“We, in the House of Representatives, need to get our act together to ensure the swift and smooth passage of the 2022 national budget in order for the government to continue operating and provide much-needed services to the Filipino people as it is expected to,” Velasco said in a statement.

Velasco added that the lower chamber is aiming to pass the House version of the budget by September 30 before they “go on a break in time for the October filing of certificates of candidacy for all elective positions for the May 2022 elections.”

The Speaker likewise said that they are seeking to have the 2022 General Appropriations Act signed by President Rodrigo Duterte by December “to prevent a reenacted budget that could slow economic growth and hamper the delivery of government services.”

Based on the expenditure program, the social services sector will get P1.922 trillion, the largest chunk of the budget, as it will cover health-related services.

The economic sector, meanwhile, will have an P1.474-trillion allocation to support flagship programs under the Duterte administration’s Build, Build, Build program.

Furthermore, P862.7 billion will be allotted for the general public services sector, P541.3 billion for debt burden, and P224.4 billion for the defense sector.

For government agencies, the education sector, covering the Department of Education, State Universities and Colleges, and the Commission on Higher Education will receive the biggest slice with P773.6 billion.

The P5.024 trillion is higher by 11.5 percent than the 2021 budget. It is also equivalent to 22.8 percent of the Philippines’ gross domestic product.

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