The House of Representatives has passed on third and final reading the proposed ₱4.5-trillion national budget for 2021 on Friday, October 16, like newly-installed Speaker Lord Allan Velasco had promised.
The proposed budget, also known as the General Appropriations Bill, was finally approved on Friday, the last day of the special session called by President Rodrigo Duterte amid the speakership row that threatened pushed back the passage to November.
It was Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III who revealed that Velasco “promised best effort” to transmit the bill to Senate by Oct. 28. It was certified as urgent by President Duterte a few days after.
He said a late endorsement could result in delay, something lawmakers have been trying to avoid so there would be no reenacted budget.
Under a reenacted budget, the country will run using the financial plan for the previous year, which will be detrimental to the government’s efforts on addressing the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
