Malacañang on Thursday thanked Congress for the “expeditious” ratification of the proposed PHP5.024 trillion national budget for 2022.
This, after the House of Representatives and the Senate separately ratified the bicameral conference committee report on the 2022 General Appropriations Bill (GAB).
“The Palace thanks Congress for working overtime to expeditiously ratify the proposed 2022 national budget,” Acting Presidential Spokesperson, Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles said in a statement.
Nograles said the Palace considers next year’s budget “vital” to support the country’s Covid-19 resilience initiatives and to sustain socioeconomic recovery efforts.
“We are grateful to our partners in the Legislature for ensuring that the Duterte administration’s last full-year budget will sustain the legacy of real change for future generations,” he added.
He also reassured the public that next year’s budget will be allocated for programs, projects, and services that will benefit all Filipinos.
“As we await its transmittal to the Office of the President, we reiterate our commitment to utilizing our people’s hard-earned money to properly implement programs, projects, and services effectively and efficiently during the remainder of the President’s term of office,” he added.
On Wednesday, the Senate ratified the report containing the reconciled version of the proposed 2022 national budget agreed upon by both houses of Congress through a bicameral conference committee.
The House of Representatives ratified the report in its plenary session in the afternoon on the same day.
Senate Finance Committee chair Sonny Angara said the 2022 GAB would allot PHP188.3 billion for the Department of Health (DOH) including PHP22.99 billion for its Health Facilities Enhancement Program (HFEP) and PHP21 billion to help hospitals across the country.
Congress also allocated close to PHP3 billion to fund the Doktor Para sa Bayan Act that would grant full medical scholarships in state universities and colleges (SUCs) in a bid to address the shortage of doctors in the country.
President Rodrigo Duterte is expected to sign the measure before December 31 to ensure the government does not operate on a reenacted budget.
Source: Philippines News Agency
