2020 budget gets Senate nod, goes to bicam

MANILA, Philippines — The Senate yesterday approved the P4.1-trillion General Appropriations Bill (GAB) for next year on second reading, and on third and final reading in one session after President Duterte certified it as urgent.

Passed was House Bill 4228, with 22 votes and no negative votes or abstentions.

Before its approval, the chamber made at least P45 billion in amendments and realignments, according to Sen. Sonny Angara, chairman of the Senate finance committee.

The changes were made for the benefit of education, health, agriculture, labor and government salaries.

He said the chamber augmented the budget of the Department of Education for its Education Service Contracting Program to fund the proposed increase in the Teacher Salary Subsidy.

Also approved was additional allocation for National Assessment Systems for Basic Education, Basic Education Curriculum, Literacy and Numeracy Program, Student Assistance Program for those who excel in sports, Special Education Program, Voucher Program for Non-DepEd Public Schools and School-Based Feeding Program.

“With our amendments, the School-Based Feeding Program will receive the highest budget it has been appropriated in the last five years,” Angara said.

Senators also provided funds to implement the law enacted earlier this year mandating the conservation and restoration of Gabaldon and other heritage schools.

Also assured of funding were DepEd’s Quick Response Fund for the repair of schools and school electrification for the benefit of unenergized schools.

To address the gaps in resources and facilities of schools located in geographically isolated and disadvantaged and conflict-affected areas, an additional amount will be allocated for DepEd’s Last Mile Schools Program. The DepEd will also get additional allocation for the Voucher Program for Private Senior High School, he said.

“We also provided additional funding for our SUCs (state universities and colleges) to provide for an increase for their research programs, the conduct of sports- and culture-related activities and new buildings and facilities,” Angara said.

He said the budget of the Department of Health was also hiked to support the agency’s vaccination drive and other programs to protect children.

Additional funds have also been set aside under the Miscellaneous Personnel Benefits Fund to upgrade the salaries of Nurse I and Nurse II positions, in compliance with the October 2019 Supreme Court decision upgrading the minimum salary of government nurses (Nurse I) from Salary Grade 11 to SG 15, pursuant to Republic Act 9173.

Appropriation for the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. for the implementation of the Universal Health Care law was also increased.

For the Department of National Defense, amounts were provided for the implementation of Task Force Balik Loob and Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (E-CLIP) for rebel returnees, while the Army will be given funds for the immediate activation of one infantry division to directly address the continuing threat posed by the Abu Sayyaf group in Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi.

The Department of Justice was given additional funding for several projects, including hiring of coordinators for the Witness Protection Security program; purchase of Bureau of Corrections’ medical and dental equipment; communication equipment and K9 dogs; for National Bureau of Investigation’s confidential fund, acquisition of motor vehicles and military equipment and scientific criminal investigation and services; OSG’s capacity building for lawyers, purchase of information technology equipment and vehicles.

An increase in the judiciary’s budget would benefit the Judges-at-Large program meant to decongest courts, Angara said.

Other agencies that got budget increases were the Philippine National Police, Commission on Human Rights, Department of Agriculture, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, Commission on Audit and the Department of Labor and Employment.