Congress resumes session with 2022 budget as priority

MANILA, Philippines — The Senate and the House of Representatives are set to resume sessions today after a month-long Halloween break, with the ratification of the P5.024-trillion national budget atop the agenda.

“Our commitment is to ensure that the budget bill, which is focused on getting the Philippines back on the road toward full recovery from the COVID-19 crisis, reaches President Duterte’s desk before yearend,” Speaker Lord Allan Velasco vowed.

The lone Marinduque congressman also reiterated his commitment to ensure the timely enactment of the government’s spending plan, even as he welcomed the assurance from the Senate leadership that it will not allow a reenacted budget in 2022.

“We are glad that the Senate is on the same page as the House insofar as the national budget is concerned,” Velasco said, insisting that the enactment of the 2022 budget bill would be important in the government’s efforts to build back better amid the health crisis.

House Majority Leader Martin Romualdez also supported the Speaker, saying the ratification of the national budget for 2022 is the “top priority” of the House leadership under Velasco.

“We assure the President that the House will immediately ratify the national budget for next year before we adjourn next month,” the congressman of the first district of Leyte – who sits as chairman of the House committee on rules – said.

The House transmitted Bill 10153 or the 2022 General Appropriations Bill (GAB) last Oct. 25, two days ahead of its original schedule.

The House passed on third and final reading its version of the 2022 GAB last Sept. 30, after the committee on appropriations headed by Rep. Eric Go Yap of party-list ACT-CIS finished the month-long budget deliberations of agencies.

“As soon as the Senate is done with its own version of the budget, the House will be selecting the contingent to the bicameral conference committee to help reconcile the two versions,” the Speaker promised.

Also during the resumption of session, Velasco said the House will tackle various proposals seeking to either suspend or cut the excise taxes on petroleum products amid rising cost in fuel prices.

“As we prepare for the wider reopening of businesses, we must ensure that our economic recovery will not be hampered by unwelcome disruptions, such as the unimpeded sharp rise in the cost of fuel,” Velasco said.

“Congress would like to be informed of how fuel prices have shot up so fast in a matter of weeks, so that we can possibly come up with measures that will help mitigate this emerging obstacle towards our recuperation,” he added.