Legarda: P1.16-B budget for Dengvaxia recipients to be passed this week

Senator Loren Legarda. FILE PHOTO

Senator Loren Legarda, chair of the Senate committee on finance, has assured the passage of the proposed P1.16 billion supplemental budget for those vaccinated with Dengvaxia before Congress adjourns this week.

Legarda, though, explained that the proposal has yet to be transmitted first to the Senate by the House of Representatives, which is expected to pass it on third and final reading this Monday.

“Because any matter of appropriations has to be transmitted from the lower house and so before the end of session this week, we will have a supplemental budget,” she told reporters at the sideline of the committee’s deliberations of its counterpart measure.

“Bago matapos ang session at mag-adjourn, magkakaroon tayo ng P1.16 billion para sa mga biktima ng Dengvaxia vaccine,” she said, adding that the medical assistance will cover all those vaccinated with the vaccine.

READ: House committee okays P1.161-B budget for Dengvaxia-vaccinated children

Legarda said her committee would finish its deliberations on the proposed supplemental budget and reconcile it with the House version once transmitted to the Senate.

“It’s a certified measure, I believe,” she said.

Besides, the senator said, the Bureau of Treasury has assured that the fund is readily available.

“It’s readily available; the Bureau of Treasury has assured us. That is available,” she said.

Unlike the House, however, Legarda said the Senate version of the measure proposes that the fund should be disbursed only until 2019.

“Ang gusto ko sana may taning na ito’y dapat magastos sa ganitong panahon. Pero ang House version kasi until it’s spent,” she said.

“Ang Senate version hanggang 2019. ‘Yun ang end ng term ko e. Gusto ko sagot ko ang pag-gastos niyan,” the senator added. /je