TITE NATION'$ ITAITING NEWSPAPER
Senate committee receives copy 0f proposed
F4.1-trillion national budget for 2020
The Senate is ready to buckle down
to work for the timely passage of the
proposed F4.l-trillion national expendi-
iut" ptogtam (NEP) for2020 nowthatit
has entered the legislative mill.
The Office of SenatorJuanEdgardo
"Sonn;/*Angara confirmed that a copy
of the budget measur,qf;as submitted to
Senate committee receives... <1
Miguel "Migz" Zubiri, Senate minor-
ity ledder Franklin Drilon, Senators
Angara, and Panfilo "Ping" Lacson
Ttresday afternoon.
Angara, chairof the Senate Finance
Committee, has set the Develop-
ment Budget Coordination Committee
(DBCC) meeting nextweek, August 28
and 29, respectively.
Both the Senate and House of Rep-
resentatives have committed to avoid
a repeat of a delayed enactment of the
budget law.
"We owe it to the people to pass
the budget on time. Any delay in the
implementation of public programs and
in the deliveryof services is adisservice
to them," Angara said.
The proposed national budget
for 2020 is 12 percent higher than
last year's budget. It will include
appropriations for the Universal
Health Care, conditional cabh trans-
fers for the poor, and funds for the
newly created Bangsamoro Autono-
mous Region in Muslim Mindanao
(BARMM).
Angara said thrit just like in the
previous congresses, vice chairper-
sons of the finance committee would
be tasked to handle the budgets of
different agencies to expedite the
process.
The P3.7-trillion national budget
for 2019 was only approved and signed
by the President on April of this year
due to delays in the Lower House.
Angara said Congress will strive
to ensure that the 2020 national bud-
get would be on President Rodrigo
Duterte's desk before the end of the
year.
\ yhtTP\e€u
Thursday, August 22, 2O1g
the upper chamber by the Department
of Budget and Management (DBM) on
tu'esday.
, DBM Actirig Secretary Wendel
Avisado formally submitted the copy
of the 2020 natiortal budget to Senate
President Vicente Sotto III, \
S;;; Majority Leader Juan >7
Marathon hearings
At the Lower House, Majority Lead-
er and Leyte Rep. Mdrtin Romualdez
said members have agreed to "work
day and night" to ensure the immedi-
ate and timelypassage of the proposed
national budget.
He bared that four marathon budget
hearings will be held every day, which
prompted'the House leadership to
move'the plenary session from 3 p.m.
to 5 p.m.
-"The trIouse members are in full
agreement that we all have to work day
a4d night, from Monday to Fridry, to
make surethatwe approve the2020 Gen-
eral Appropriation$. Agt by October this
year," Romualdez said a day after the
DBM submitted the F4.l-trillion NEP
He said they will hold four budget
hearings daily at the committee level
almost simultaneously.
The hearings are set at 9 a.fiI., 9:30
a.m., 1p.ffi., and 1:30 p.m.
"House members may have to
shuttle between hearings in order to
maximize their participation in the
budget deliberations. I am thanldul that
all the House members agreed to this
schedule, which is really a tall order,"
he said.
Romualdez disclosed that starting
September 12, they will extend their
session days from the regular Monday
to Wednesday schedule to ensure the
exhaustive plenary budget delibera-
tions.
'
"We will hold plenary sessions even
on Thursdays and Fridays to make,i
sure that the national budget will get
the House members'nod on time;'? hg;
said. , '.1