The House of Representatives welcomes the timely passage by
the Senate of the proposed P4.506-trillion national budget for 2021.
We now look forward to sitting with our Senate counterparts
in conference possibly starting next week to come up with a common version of
the budget.
We have already formed a contingent composed of 21 members
from various political parties to represent the House during the bicameral
conference on the 2021 budget bill.
These representatives will make sure there will be enough
funds for the government’s COVID-19 response, especially the procurement of
vaccines for an initial 20 million poor Filipinos and eventually for at least
60 million of our population.
We also want to ensure sufficient funding for the
rehabilitation and recovery of communities devastated by recent typhoons,
including Rolly and Ulysses. We should help our people rebuild their lives.
Let us also not forget President Duterte’s other priority
programs like Build, Build, Build and his anti-poverty projects. We must appropriate
the funds needed to sustain them.
Our goal is to get the 2021 General Appropriations Bill on
the President’s desk for his signature before the year ends, so we can prevent
a reenacted budget that will not bode well for the economy and the entire
nation.
