Today, we gladly received from President Rodrigo Roa
Duterte—through the Department of Budget and Management—the National
Expenditure Program that would assist the legislature in the review and
deliberation of the proposed national budget for fiscal year 2022.
This officially signals the start of the budget season in
Congress or the legislative process of evaluation, debate and amendment which
we hope could lead to the timely and decisive passage of the 2022 General
Appropriations Act.
We, in the House of Representatives, are all set to carry
out our constitutional duty of carefully scrutinizing the P5.024-trillion
national budget, which includes an allocation of at least P240.75 billion for
COVID-19 response.
As the coronavirus pandemic drags on and with no end in
sight, it is incumbent upon Congress to swiftly pass a national budget that
will not only serve as an instrument for development, but also as a powerful
tool to decisively defeat COVID-19 and rebuild people’s lives and livelihoods. – House of Representatives of the Philippines
