Senate OKs P3.35 trillion nat’l budget for 2017

Senate starts deliberations on the proposed P3.35 trillion national budget for 2017. MAILA AGER/INQUIRER.net FILE PHOTO

The Senate has unanimously approved on its third and final reading the proposed P3.35-trillion national budget for 2017.

Twenty senators voted on Monday to approve the budget bill, which was certified as urgent by Malacañang.

After the approval, the Senate immediately formed a 9-man panel to sit in the bicameral conference with their counterparts at the House of Representatives, which also approved the budget bill last month.

READ: House approves proposed 2017 budget on final reading

The bicameral panels will sit down to reconcile their versions of the proposed budget before returning it to their respective chambers for ratification.

Once ratified by both chambers, the budget measure will then be transmitted to President Rodrigo Duterte for signature. JE/rga