2014 nat’l budget hurdles Senate

Senate Session Hall INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — The Senate on Tuesday unanimously approved on third and final reading the proposed 2014 national budget.

Sixteen senators voted on the floor to approve the budget without objection or abstention.

The proposed budget approved by the Senate will now be up for deliberation in the congressional bicameral conference committee to reconcile with the version passed by the House of Representatives.

The Senate version of the budget bill was P3.2 billion lower than the original P2.268 trillion proposal of Malacañang.

The P3.2 billion cut represents the P200 million Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) each for the 15 senators who gave up their allocation next year, and another P200 million PDAF that Vice President Jejomar Binay’s office has also decided to forgo.