Palace thanks Congress for speedy ratification of 2022 national budget

MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang on Thursday thanked Congress for the speedy ratification of next year's national budget, an outlay that it said is necessary to implement economic recovery programs.

Acting presidential spokesman Karlo Nograles lauded lawmakers "for ensuring that the Duterte administration’s last full-year budget will sustain the legacy of real change for future generations."

"The Palace thanks Congress for working overtime to expeditiously ratify the proposed 2022 national budget. We consider next year’s budget vital to support our country’s COVID-19 resilience initiatives and to sustain our socioeconomic recovery efforts," Nograles said in a statement.

"As we await its transmittal to the Office of the President, we reiterate our commitment to utilize our people’s hard-earned money to properly implement programs, projects, and services effectively and efficiently during the remainder of the President’s term of office," he added.

The proposed P5.024-trillion budget for 2022 was ratified by the Senate and the House of Representatives last Wednesday and will soon be transmitted to Malacañang for President Duterte's signature.

Under the approved spending bill, about P50-billion was allocated for COVID-19 vaccines and booster shots. Lawmakers also allocated P22.99-billion to the health department's health facilities enhancement program and P5-billion for the social amelioration program.

The National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict, which has been criticized for linking various groups and personalities critical of the government to communist rebels, was given an outlay of about P17-billion. Most of the allocation will fund development programs in areas that have been cleared of communist rebels' influence, lawmakers said.