The budget bill is one of the most important pieces of legislation that must be tackled in Congress. It largely spells out the economic direction of a nation in the next calendar year and prioritizes spending to achieve the goals of the administration. In sum, the budget serves as the annual program for alleviating poverty, generating job opportunities and funding the healthcare, social welfare and other basic services needed by our countrymen.
It is, thus, disheartening to learn that the Senate may not approve the P3.757-trillion budget for 2019 before Congress goes on a Christmas break, if the House of Representatives submits it to the Senate on Monday. Senate Majority Leader Miguel Zubiri offered, instead, a reenacted budget for two weeks to a month. The House approved the P3.757-trillion proposed budget on third and final reading on Tuesday.
There’s nothing wrong with working within a reenacted budget until the end of January next year. Government programs receiving funding priority may still be covered by the old budget. But failing to pass the national budget before the end of the year in time for next year’s expenditure program does not reflect well on an institution, the Senate in this case, that is mandated to craft legislation that will benefit the Filipinos in general.
Mr. Zubiri complained of the short time left to deliberate intelligently and lengthily on the many provisions of the proposed 2019 budget. The Senate, as in the past, will likely hold marathon sessions to discuss and debate on the pros and cons of the budget. But as Mr. Zubiri contends, there is no way that the budget will be passed in the Senate before it goes into a recess for the important Christmas break.
The poor, meanwhile, will not enjoy their own Christmas break. For those that have suffered from the typhoons that ravaged their areas and destroyed their livelihood, the increased calamity funds will have to wait until the new budget is in place.
Lawmakers must be reminded that the budget deserves utmost priority from them. It requires little sacrifice from the Senate to get the 2019 budget passed.
