Congress is resuming its sessions today to give priority to the ratification of the P5.024-trillion national budget for 2022.
“Our commitment is to ensure that the budget bill, which is focused on getting the Philippines back on the road towards full recovery from the COVID-19 crisis, reaches President (Rodrigo) Duterte’s desk before the year end,” Speaker Allan Lord Velasco said.
He said the Senate also committed not to have a reenacted budget for 2022.
“We are glad that the Senate is on the same page as the House insofar as the national budget is concerned,” he said.
The House of Representatives on Sept. 30 passed on third and final reading the proposed P5.024-trillion budget for 2022, and transmitted the bill to the Senate on Oct. 25.
“As soon as the Senate is done with its own version of the budget, the House will be selecting the contingent to the bicameral conference committee to help reconcile the two versions,” the House speaker said.
Velasco said Congress would also take up the proposals on suspending or cutting excise taxes on petroleum products.
Congress would want to know why the prices of fuel products continued to go up in just a matter of weeks, he said.
“As we prepare for the wider reopening of businesses, we must ensure that our economic recovery will not be hampered by unwelcome disruptions, such as the unimpeded sharp rise in the cost of fuel,” he said.
Meanwhile, he said the online House Pass System would be implemented as part of health and security protocols starting today.
All House personnel must present the QR code generated by the system before they are allowed entry to House premises.
Senate President Vicente Sotto III on Sunday said he might call a caucus today or Tuesday with the 2021 national budget as the agenda as Congress resumes its sessions today.
"Perhaps, we will call a caucus either Monday or Tuesday because there are only a few weeks so we can thoroughly clarify the scheduling of the budget," said Sotto in an interview over radio dwIZ.
He said budget hearings will be conducted from Monday to Thursday.
They can also have them on Fridays if needed.
Senate Finance committee chairperson Senator Juan Edgardo Angara said they are working on including the Special Risk Allowance (SRA) and other important health interventions to ensure the country's preparedness next year in the event of a new strain like the Delta variant.
Also on Sunday, some lawmakers called on government agencies to improve spending, and the execution of services and projects.
“Time is up for the 'for later release funds' and for all thoseprograms and projects that should have been spent in the months past and for the coming remaining seven weeks of 2021 because the Filipino people are now looking for the funds and requiring results,” Bagong Henerasyon party-list Rep. Bernadette Herrera said.
Iligan City Rep. Frederick Siao said with “the gradual reopening of the economy now in November and December — barring any COVID resurgence — government agencies now have the chance to do much better than they have in the past 10 months” when they were under stricter quarantine conditions.
“If they must work in three shifts to cover a 24/7 cycle, they should so that the jobs get done well, on time, with no delays,” he added.
Siao said instead of declaring any yet-unspent funds as savings or returning them to the National Treasury, those should be spent on the originally intended projects, programs and services.
“They should not be for later release at this point because there is no more later after the next nine weeks ahead of us,” he said.