DBM to submit P3.3-T 2017 budget to Congress today

MANILA, Philippines – Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno will submit to Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez before noon today the proposed P3.3-trillion national budget for next year, which may be scrutinized by the House appropriations committee next week.

Committee chairman Davao City Rep. Karlo Nograles yesterday promised to expedite the budget deliberations on the General Appropriations Act of 2017.

“The President and the Department of Budget and Management are ready with their budget. They have already printed copies of their national expenditure program,” Nograles said.

He said the proposed budget, which is 11.6 percent higher than the P3-trillion budget for this year, is expected to focus on President Duterte’s campaign to fight poverty, crime and corruption.

“It is a budget for change. It will jumpstart the realization of the President’s dream for our country and for our people. It will fuel the President’s quest to defeat the drug menace and the systemic corruption in our country,” he said.

“It will finance our government’s war against poverty, crime and corruption,” he added. 

Nograles said he expects his committee to be ready to submit the budget for plenary debates by Sept. 19 and for the measure to hurdle third reading by Sept. 30.