The House of Representatives’ Committee on Appropriations is expected to soon begin the deliberations on the proposed P4.1-trillion national budget for 2020.
The panel’s chairman, Rep. Isidro Ungab of Davao City, said the House was expected to receive the money measure on Aug. 20.
“We will immediately conduct hearings, briefings as soon as we receive the [National Expenditures Program] on Aug. 20. Our plan is to start it [committee deliberations] on Aug. 22,” Ungab told reporters.
Ungab said the House leadership under the stewardship of Majority Leader Martin Romualdez of Leyte was aiming to approve on third and final reading the 2020 Budget Bill on Oct. 5.
Romualdez on Tuesday night rallied his colleagues to pass Malacañang’s proposed 2020 P4.1-trillion national budget on time.
Romualdez, chairman of the House committee on rules, appealed to the 44-strong Visayan bloc where he belongs to give its full cooperation in ensuring the swift passage of the national budget before the 18th Congress takes its first break starting Oct. 5.
To abbreviate the budget proceedings, Romualdez said, the House leadership will continue to hold budget briefings to ensure the active participation of the President’s economic managers, heads of various departments and line agencies ahead of the formal deliberations of their respective budgetary requirements for next year.
“We will continue to hold budget briefings so that our colleagues will have enough time to raise their concerns and interact with the economic managers and department secretaries. We also appeal to our colleagues to avoid repetitive questions during formal budget deliberations, Romualdez told around 50 House members, including some party-list lawmakers who want to be part of the Visayan bloc, during Tuesday's night dinner and get-together held at the Garden Ballroom of the EDSA Shangri-La Hotel.
“Because of a shorter time frame, approving the national budget is turning up to be a Herculean task for all of us. There’s plenty of work ahead, but with all your support, full cooperation and malasakit [compassion], we can guarantee the timely passage of the national budget, said Romualdez, president of the Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats and the Philippine Constitution Association.
Romualdez said the national budget “will go through the normal and very transparent process of deliberations to fully discuss its merits and main objective to serve the people.
“We are going to scrutinize the national budget and do our jobs properly.”
Romualdez said the House committee on appropriations, led by Davao City Rep. Isidro Ungab, would deliberate on the budget measure as soon as the Palace submitted it to Congress.
He said it was expected that “social and economic services will get the biggest chunk of the national budget where lawmakers will guarantee that effective utilization and honest spending of the national budget will result in real benefits of the people.”
Former Negros Occidental Rep. Albee Benitez, outgoing president of the Visayan bloc, and Capiz Rep. Fredenil Castro, the House Majority Leader of the recently concluded 17th Congress, said the group met to support Duterte’s pro-poor programs and at the same time solidify their position to get better posts in the House of Representatives and “get the best budget for the legislative districts.”
“We gathered to show support for the President's legislative agenda and make sure that our members are given equal opportunities in the committee assignments. We welcome and acknowledge the commitment of Majority Leader Martin Romualdez to help all House members, including the Visayan bloc, to address the members concerns in the national budget, Benitez said.