Duterte signs P4.5 trillion budget for 2021

MANILA, Philippines — President Duterte yesterday signed the P4.5-trillion national budget for 2021, which included sizeable allocations for the purchase, storage and distribution of vaccines for COVID-19.

Select members of the Senate and the House of Representatives attended the signing ceremony at Malacañang, as shown in a pre-recorded video of the event aired over state-run PTV.

Photos provided by the office of Sen. Bong Go showed about 10 lawmakers wearing face masks and face shields.

The budget signing was held before the meeting of the government’s pandemic task force. Presidential spokesman Harry Roque previously said Duterte would veto some items in the spending bill but details were not yet available as of press time.

“Ladies and gentlemen, I stand before you today happy and proud to sign the 2021 General Appropriations Act,” Duterte said in a pre-recorded speech.

“This important piece of legislation attests to the importance of active and fruitful collaboration between the executive and the legislative branches of the government, especially this time when the health and welfare of the people are at stake,” he said.

The budget for 2021 includes P72.5 billion for a nationwide vaccination program against COVID-19.

“Let me stress that one of the most important items in the 2021 budget is the allocation of P72.5 billion for the purchase, storage, transportation and distribution of COVID-19 vaccines,” Duterte said.

“Every centavo of this budget must be spent to ensure the nation’s recovery, resilience and sustainability. Let me, therefore, serve an assurance to the Filipino people – this coming year, we intend to recover as one nation,” he declared.

The largest portion of the budget – at P708 billion – goes to the Department of Education, state universities and colleges, the Commission on Higher Education and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority.

With its allocation of P694 billion, the Department of Public Works and Highways came next, followed by the health sector with P694 billion.

“There is too much at stake in the 2021 budget. The economy is set to bounce back after a historic slump this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic and any delay in the passage of the budget would be akin to throwing a monkey wrench in the recovery process,” Sen. Sonny Angara, who chairs the Senate finance committee, said.

“We are now assured that the government will be operating on a new budget on Jan. 1, 2021. This will pave the way for implementation of several key programs, particularly those that pertain to COVID-response,” he said.