December 22, 2020
President Rodrigo Duterte will sign his administration's penultimate budget on December 28, presidential spokesperson Harry Roque says.
A few weeks ago, both chambers of Congress ratified the 2021 national budget worth P4.5 trillion.
December 14, 2020
The House of Representatives approves on final reading the extension of validity of Bayanihan 2 until June 30, 2021.
December 14, 2020
Executive agencies with projects and campaigns under the Bayanihan II law must make sure all programs have been implemented before the legislation lapses on December 19, Sen. Bong Go says in a news release.
The statement came after the Department of Budget and Management said that the law, signed September 11, still has unreleased appropriations.
Bayanihan II, meant to provide resources to assist Filipinos affected by the pandemic, covers a cash-for-work program, economic relief to enterprises and aid the healthcare system. The 2020 General Appropriations Act will similarly lapse within the month.
"Agencies should work overtime to fund and implement provisions in these laws," Go says.
December 9, 2020
The House of Representatives ratifies the proposed P4.506 trillion national budget for 2021.
Deliberations on the 2021 national budget are still ongoing at the Senate as of writing time.
Once approved by both chambers of Congress, the proposed budget can be sent to President Rodrigo Duterte for signature.
The House ratifies the bicameral conference committee report on the 2021 General Appropriations Bill. pic.twitter.com/vrMdPAWYAy
— House of Representatives of the Philippines (@HouseofRepsPH) December 9, 2020
December 9, 2020
The bicameral committee on the 2021 budget panel reconvenes today led by Rep. Eric Yap (ACT-CIS partylist) of the House appropriations panel and Sen. Sonny Angara of the Senate's finance panel.
The joint panels are aiming to ratify the P4.5-trillion budget in the afternoon. — Image from the Office of Sen. Angara
December 7, 2020
The Senate moves to increase the budget allocation for the national broadband to P5.9 billion to speed up the rollout of services in underprivileged areas.
The National Expenditure Program initially allotted only P900 million for the National Telecommunications Communication, which Sen. Grace Poe describes as "quite laughable."
“We increased that to at least P5.9 billion for 2021. This is just for the first phase. We have to contend with the DICT’s absorptive capacity which is why we didn’t go all out,” Poe says at the Senate committee on public services, which she chairs.
October 22, 2020
Sen. Risa Hontiveros warns against a P2.04-billion cut on the 2021 budget of the Department of Health amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The senator says it is crucial for government hospitals to cover the costs of regular operations, including utilities, medicine, diagnostic procedures, IV fluids and other expenses.
"Billions worth of cuts in the middle of a pandemic means we drastically slashed the capacity of government hospitals to provide services and medicines for free. Dahil dito, aakyat pa ang out-of-pocket expenses ng mga tao. This is grossly anti-poor and anti-people," Hontiveros says.
October 20, 2020
Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon says the tourism industry needs more funding in the proposed 2021 national budget, describing the allocation for the DOT as meager.
He says no provisions were made for cash-for-work programs for tourism employees.
"Tourism is the second biggest contributor to the country’s GDP. Instead of rewarding and supporting the DOT and tourism enterprises, our national budget keeps on decreasing its support for the tourism industry," Drilon is quoted as saying during the Senate hearing on the agency's proposed 2021 budget.
He says that the P3.52-billion allocation for the Department of Tourism, down from P4.9 billion proposed by the agency, "is insufficient given the sector's contribution to the economy and its capability to bring back economic activities halted by the COVID-19 pandemic."
October 19, 2020
The House version of the 2021 national budget is ready for submission to the Senate after the lower chamber's small group reached a consensus, Rep. Joey Salceda (Albay) says.
Noting that Speaker Lord Allan Velasco delivers, Salceda notes that they only considered institutional amendments, departmental errata and individual amendments during the bicameral committee.
October 11, 2020
House Majority Leader Martin Romualdez says the Congress will resume deliberations on the 2021 national budget following the call of President Rodrigo Duterte for a special session.
"Let us set aside politics and focus first on the passage of the national budget as requested by the President," Romualdez says in a statement.
Romualdez stresses that they will respect the term-sharing agreement and that they will ensure a smooth transition of leadership in the lower chamber.
October 11, 2020
Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte has endorsed Rep. Lord Velasco (Marinduque) as speaker of the House of Representatives, according to Rep Doy Leachon (Oriental Mindoro).
"She's doing it as a friend of Cong. Velasco. Besides, she believes that parties to the term-sharing agreement must be gentleman enough to comply," Leachon says in a statement.
Leachon adds that non-adherence to the term-sharing agreement is a defiance to President Rodrigo Duterte.
October 9, 2020
Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque says President Rodrigo Duterte called the Congress to a special session on October 13 to 16, 2020 to resume the congressional deliberations on the proposed 2021 national budget and to avoid any further delays.
October 8, 2020
Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano assures President Rodrigo Duterte that the proposed 2021 national budget will be passed on time despite the suspension of the budget deliberations at the House of Representatives.
"We welcome the President’s stern warning to all parties to stop all the politicking as it could jeopardize the welfare of our fellow citizens at this critical time. In this, we are not evading any responsibility for our own actions, and would in fact like to sincerely apologize again to the President and the whole nation for adding anxiety to an already uncertain situation," Cayetano says in a social media post shortly after Duterte's recorded address aired.
Cayetano says the House will submit the printed budget to the Senate on November 5, which would allow them to continue with their own deliberations and prepare for the formal transmittal on November 16.
ALMIGHTY GOD admonishes us to bear one another's burdens. In doing so we are obedient to GOD'S Word To Love Each...
Posted by Alan Peter Cayetano on Thursday, 8 October 2020
October 8, 2020
President Rodrigo Duterte tells members of the House of Representatives to approve the proposed 2021 national budget amid a speakership row between Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano and Rep. Lord Allan Velasco.
"If you do not solve the problem then I will solve the problem for you," Duterte says in a recorded address aired Thursday night.
October 8, 2020
Rep. Lord Allan Velasco joins the call of his colleagues in the Senate and in the House of Representatives to resume plenary sessions on the 2021 national budget.
Velasco, who has a term-sharing deal with Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano on the House leadership, says the budget issue is more important than the speakership row.
"The premature termination of budget deliberations has signaled the alarm bells from the halls of Congress to the Senate, from the nation's economic managers to the business community," Velasco says in a statement.
October 7, 2020
Deputy Speaker Neptali Gonzales II defends the swift passage of the 2021 budget on second reading, insisting that the motion of Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano to close the budget deliberations was in accordance with the Rules of the House.
Gonzales stressed that the House can suspend sessions earlier than what is provided by the legislative calendar, as the committees will continue to function and there are no other priority bills in the calendar.
"We started to deliberate on it (budget) last week and was approved on second reading yesterday. We will approve it on third reading on Nov. 16 when printed copies are distributed three days before," Gonzales says.
October 6, 2020
Senate President Tito says the House of Representatives has disregarded the request of President Rodrigo Duterte to pass the 2021 national budget.
"There is no way we can finish the budget if it is not submitted to us before the mandated break after Oct. 14. Do not blame us!" Sotto says.
October 6, 2020
Rep. Lord Allan Velasco (Marinduque) denounces the acts of Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano and his allies in the House of Representatives for railroading the approval of the proposed 2021 national budget.
Velasco condemns Cayetano and his allies for railroading the legislative process upon terminating the 2021 budget deliberations and approving the budget proposal on second reading without going through required process and procedure.
"Because if Speaker Cayetano's desperate attempt to stay in power, he has bastardized the institution we swore to protect and respect and committed serious violations of the Constitution to save himself," Velasco says in a statement.
October 6, 2020
The House of Representatives approves the proposed 2021 national budget on second reading after Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano moves to terminate budget deliberations.
House session is suspended until November 16. — report from Xave Gregorio
The Duterte administration is set to submit its penultimate budget proposal for Congress's consideration on Tuesday, Budget Secretary Wendel Avisado says.
"We've arranged the submission today after lunch," Avisado says in a text message.
The proposed budget will be worth P4.506 trillion, 9.9% higher than this year's P4.1-trillion outlay. The government says the outlay would prioritize ongoing response to the pandemic. — Prinz Magtulis