The leadership of the House of Representatives on Thursday said the lower chamber will finish the 2022 proposed P5.024 trillion General Appropriations Act before the filing of certificates of candidacy for next year’s elections to avoid a reenacted spending program next year.
Speaker Lord Allan Velasco issued this statement as the House Committee on Appropriations kicked off its deliberations on the last full-year budget to be enacted under the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte.
“We, in the House of Representatives, need to get our act together to ensure swift and smooth passage of the 2022 national budget in order for the government to continue operating and provide much-needed services to the Filipino people as it is expected to,” Velasco said.
“Our aim is to pass the House version of the 2022 national budget by September 30 to give the Senate ample time to go over the budget and come up with its own version in time for the October filing of certificates of candidacy for all elective positions for the May 2022 elections,” Velasco added.
Velasco said the ultimate goal is for the President to sign the 2022 General Appropriations Act by December to prevent a reenacted budget that could slow economic growth and hamper the delivery of government services.
He said the proposed 2022 national budget is focused on getting the Philippines back on the road towards full recovery from the devastating impacts of the pandemic.
The P5.024 trillion is equivalent to 22.8 percent of the country’s gross domestic product and is higher by 11.5 percent than the current 2021 national budget.
Earlier, House Committee on Appropriations Chairman Eric Go Yap said the lower chamber will not hesitate to implement budget cuts against underperforming agencies.
Earlier, the Commission on Audit (COA) flagged several government agencies to explain their deficiencies and irregularities in the use of public funds.
However, Yap assured that the adverse findings of the COA against various government agencies won’t delay the deliberation and timely passage of the proposed P5.024-trillion national budget for 2022.
Under the budget hearing schedule, the budget hearings for Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office and Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. will be on Friday, August 27.
Facing the lower chamber on Tuesday, August 31 are Department of Agrarian Reform and Department of Foreign Affairs.
On September 1, Wednesday, Department of National Defense, Department of Science and Technology and Department of Social Welfare and Development are expected to defend their 2022 budget.
On September 2, Thursday, agencies that are invited to the budget hearings include the Judiciary, Department of Energy, Energy Regulatory and Department of Health.
For September 3, Friday, invited agencies are Department of Human Settlements and Urban, Department of Tourism, the Office of the President, Office of the Vice President and Commission on Audit.
For September 6, Monday and September 7, Tuesday, Department of the Interior and Local Government and Presidential Communications Operations Office will face the members of the committee, respectively.
On September 8, Wednesday, Department of Agriculture and National Irrigation Administration are expected to present their budget.
On September 9, Thursday, Office of the Ombudsman, Department of Justice and Department of Labor and Employment will defend their budget allocations.
On September 10, Friday, Commission of Elections, Commission on Higher Education, Department of Information and Communication Technology and Department of Trade and Industry will be invited.
Other agencies that will present their 2022 allocations are Department of Environment and Natural Resources (September 13, Monday), Department of Education (September 14, Tuesday), and Department of Transportation (September 15, Wednesday).
Meanwhile, the Commission on Human Rights, Civil Service Commission and Department of Public Works and Highways will be invited to present their budget on September 16, Thursday.