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iI A TI T I A@b\B U L I E T I If
Congress rushing
to approve budget
before year ends
he House of Representatives approved
the proposed National Budget Bill for
2o2o in record time last September 20
and immediately sent it to the Senate.
Last November 22, the Senate approved its ver-
sion of the bill. Between no\i and the end of the
year, Congress must approve the finalversion of
the bill and send it to Malacanang for president
Dutertets sig4ature so it will be ready to be imple-
mented by the first day of the new year 2o2o.
All officials concerned are determined to avoid
last year's experience with th€ 2ol9 National
Budget Bill. That should have been approved
in Decemb€r, 2018, but it was held up by dis-
agfeement between congressmen and senators,
.so that it got approved only in April, 2o19.,As a
&iSuA,m
IUANILAEULLEIIN
result, all of the programs and projects sched-
uled from tanuary to April, zotg, could not be
DECEMBER 4,2019 implemented.
Our officials are determined to avoid this
'unfortuqate experience in 2o2o. But now the
\\ p:\e€ - jil senators and congressmen must resolve their
differences in their,respective budget bills. They
will do that in the bicameral meetings which
began last Friday.
The Senate contingent in the Conference
Committee led by Sen. Sonny Angara has pro-
posed some realignments in the budget bill, the
biggest of which is P35 billion for the Depart*
ment of Public Works and Highways. There are
also proposed changes in the amounts for the
Departments of Transportation, Education, Na-
tional DefenSe, Information and Communications
Technology, Agriculture, Health, and funds' for
government corporations.
The House contingbnt led by Rep. Isidro Ungab
of Davao City will be pushing for its own changes,
led by an augmentation of P3.5 billion for palay
procurement. Congressman Ungab said he Iore-
sees protracted bicameral'talks in view of the
magnitude of the proposed Senate changes.
But, as in the past, the biggest issue is ex-
pecte4 to be alleged r(pork barrel" funds in
lump sums without specific details parked in
the House-proposed bill. This was the issue that
delayed last year's budget.
We trust that all concerned are determined to
avoid the debacle last year. This year, according
to Albay Rep. toey Salceda, it is the Senate that
has made so many changes * totaling Pz35 bil-
lion in the proposed P4.1-billion National Budget.
Most of the proposed changes are undoubtedly
meritorious and we hope Congress will be able
to have all the needed changes approved so that
the final version of the Budget Bill be enacted
before the year ends.