The House of Representatives will work overtime to pass the proposed P1.4-trillion national budget for 2020, Majority Leader and Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez said on Monday.
He made the statement even as the House begins today, Tuesday, the plenary debates on House Bill 4228 or the Fiscal Year 2020 General Appropriations Bill.
“Our national budget for next year will give a very strong foundation to ensure the successful implementation of President Duterteç—´ programs with sustainable and equitable growth that would provide a comfortable life for Filipinos,” said Romualdez, chairman of the House committee on rules.
Davao City Rep. Isidro Ungab, chairman of the House committee on appropriations, will sponsor and defend the proposed budget.
The opening debates will focus on the general principles and macro assumptions on which the NEP was based, the fiscal performance of the government and the state and directions of the economy.
The Ungab panel approved the committee report on the money measure.
Also to be discussed this Tuesday are the budgets of the Department of Finance, National Economic and Development Authority, and their attached agencies, Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council and other Executive offices such as the National Intelligence Coordinating Council and the National Security Council.
Romualdez said the proposed budget would be “pork-less” and would no longer contain lump sums, except for certain appropriations like the calamity and contingency funds.
“We are committed to pass a constitutionally compliant national budget. The House leadership will comply with the Supreme Court decisions that outlawed the Priority Development Assistance Fund and the Disbursement Acceleration Program,” Romualdez said.
“Definitely, the pork barrel system is a thing of the past. The line-item-budgeting system will be strictly observed to ensure transparency and accountability in the disbursement of public funds,” Romualdez said even as he commended the President’s commitment through acting Budget Secretary Wendel Avisado to ensure an equitable and corruption-free distribution of government resources to further propel the economy.
Ungab earlier said the House leadership would pass the 2020 national budget before the first congressional break starting on Oct. 5 after convening its first regular session in July.
After the two-week floor debates, the House will use the following week to print the third and final reading copy of the proposed national budget before adjourning on Oct. 4.
Romualdez maintained his appeal to his fellow legislators to only speak on their allotted time and ask relevant questions during the budget floor debates to ensure the swift passage of the proposed budget.
Romualdez said he was “banking on the professionalism and discipline of my colleagues who will not do any showing off at the expense of the proposed national budget.
“The House leadership under Speaker [Alan Peter] Cayetano is appealing once again to our colleagues to help us approve the national spending measure immediately,” said Romualdez, adding he expected many of his colleagues to attend the sessions devoted to the national budget.
He also confirmed that the same GAB based on the NEP has referred again last Wednesday to the House Committee on Appropriations and without insertions.
“We will work overtime to finish the budget deliberations. We are on track to meet the target deadline,” said Romualdez on the budget floor debates that would start at 1 p.m. from Tuesday to Friday this week and Monday to Friday next week.
“It was the same and original GAB based on NEP that was sent again to the Appropriations Panel.”