Facade of the Senate building in Pasay City. (Philippine Daily Inquirer file photo)
MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte is set to sign the national budget for 2022 on December 28, Senate leaders said Wednesday.
Senate President Vicente Sotto III said he is set to sign the budget on December 23, after which, it will be transmitted to Duterte’s office for the president’s approval.
“I’m signing tomorrow, Thursday, then transmitting to [President Duterte]. He is scheduled to sign on the 28th,” Sotto said in a text message.
Senate finance committee chair Sonny Angara also confirmed Duterte’s scheduled signing of the budget bill.
Angara said one of the reasons for the fast-tracking of the 2022 spending plan’s approval is due to last week’s onslaught of Typhoon Odette (international name: Rai) which barreled parts of Mindanao, Visayas, and Luzon.
“Ang reason I think kaya minadali ng kaunti ito ay dahil sa nangyari sa Typhoon Odette. We’re starting to see pa lang ‘yung extent ng damage kung gaano kalawak ‘yung perwisyo nito,” Angara said during the Kapihan sa Manila Bay forum on Wednesday.
(The reason why this is being expedited is the recent onslaught of Typhoon Odette. We’re just starting to see the extent of damage caused by the storm.)
Congress ratified on December 15 the report containing the reconciled version of the 2022 national budget agreed upon by the House of Representatives and the Senate through a bicameral conference committee.
“Taglay pa rin po ng [bicam] report na ito ang adhikain na magsilbing pangunahing paraan para tuluyang makaahon muli ang bansa mula sa pandemya,” Angara earlier said.
(The bicam report still contains our objective that the budget will serve as the primary way for the country to recover from the pandemic)
Among the allocations in the 2022 national budget is a P188.3 billion funding for the Department of Health and over P700 billion for the Department of Public Works and Highways, according to Angara.
Congress also provided P5 billion for the government’s social amelioration program for next year.
Over P25 billion was allocated for the social pension of senior citizens while P39.865 billion was allotted for the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations under the Department of Social Welfare and Development.
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