House of Representatives ratifies P3.002 trillion 2016 nat’l budget

The House of Representatives ratified on Wednesday the proposed P3.002 trillion national budget for 2016.

The lower chamber ratified the bicameral conference committee report approved by the Senate on Monday.

The ratification of the bicameral version of the budget then gives way to the signature of the President’s approval.

Speaker Feliciano Belmonte said the President is set to sign the budget on Dec. 22.

The 2016 proposed General Appropriations Act is 15.2 percent higher than the P2.606 trillion budget approved in 2015.

The bicameral version of the budget is a result of the bicameral conference committee composed of both Houses of Congress, which consolidates its two version of a bill.

Appropriations chair Davao city Rep. Isidro Ungab said the most significant amendments both Houses of Congress agreed on are the additional P7 billion budget for the implementation  of the Salary Standardization Law (SSL) 2015, as well as the P2.7 billion for the capital outlay of the state universities and colleges.

READ: Bicam OKs proposed P3.002-T budget with P500M for OVP 

The House of Representatives has approved on third reading the proposed four-year P226-billion compensation hike for the government’s 1.53 million civilian and military and uniformed personnel.

The salary standardization would span from 2016 to 2019. It is now pending in the Senate committee level.

READ: Bill mandating salary hike for nat’l gov’t workers filed at Senate | House moves closer to gov’t pay standardization law 

Congress also agreed on the additional P1.2 billion pension for senior citizens, as well as the P4 billion pension benefits for the country’s World War II veterans, Ungab said.

Congress also approved the bicameral version of the budget which included doubling the Office of the Vice President’s budget from the earlier proposed P230.5 million to P500 million in 2016. Vice President Jejomar Binay is gunning for the presidency next year.