President Rodrigo Duterte is set to sign the national budget for 2022 today, acting Presidential Spokesperson, Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles said in a Palace press briefing on Wednesday.
Nograles also said the Duterte administration will fastrack all government programs in the remaining term of the President.
“Tomorrow, naka-schedule po ang pagpirma ni Pangulong Rodrigo Roa Duterte ng 2022 general appropriations law (President Duterte is scheduled to sign the 2022 general appropriations law),” acting.
The proposed P5.024 trillion national budget for next year was scheduled to be signed into law on December 28. The signing was postponed because it is still under review process, Nograles said.
The signing of the second pandemic-era budget will guarantee that the government will not operate on a reenacted budget, he said.
Nograles assured the public that the Duterte administration would hasten the rollout of projects under the 2022 budget.
“With the signing of the 2022 budget, we will implement and fast track all the programs, projects, and activities in the 2022 national budget within the remaining six months of President Duterte, ‘’ he said.
Nograles said these programs and projects need to be carried out before the forthcoming 45-day ban on new projects ahead of the May 2022 national elections.
“We need to do this because there is an election ban so we have to already implement these before elections so that our fellowmen could benefit from them,” he said.
The election ban on public works will start on March 25 to May 8, 2022.
Acting Budget secretary Tina Rose Canda earlier said Duterte is expected to sign the proposed budget this week, with some provisions up for veto.
“For the items to be vetoed, I remember only one. But I don’t think I am in a position to discuss it at this point because it is still being reviewed,” she said.
