Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, December 15) — Malacañang said President Rodrigo Duterte is set to sign the ₱4.5 trillion budget for 2021 before Christmas, even if it has yet to receive the final version of the bill from Congress.
Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said Palace officials have an idea which provisions will need to be reviewed or possibly vetoed through Budget Secretary Wendel Avisado, who he claimed has an advance copy of the measure.
“Maski hindi pa formally submitted ay napag-aralan na at medyo alam na ng DBM kung ano ‘yung mga line items na posibleng i-veto ng Presidente,” Roque said Tuesday.
“Inaasahan pa rin natin na mapipirmahan ang budget para maging epektibo sa a-uno ng Enero… We are even planning a ceremonial signing of the budget before Christmas.”
[Translation: Even if the budget has not been formally submitted to us, the DBM has an idea of which line items will likely be vetoed by the President. We expect the budget to be signed and to take effect before January 1… We are even planning a ceremonial signing of the budget before Christmas.]
Like any other bill, the budget measure must be screened by Duterte and his team before becoming law. He can either approve the entire measure, veto select provisions, or let it lapse into law after 30 days.
The President is not considering a reenacted budget, Roque added, having learned from the 2019 experience as the four-month delay in the passage of the spending plan pulled down overall economic growth. A reenacted budget would leave new and continuing projects unfunded.
The timely rollout of projects would be crucial to rebound from this year’s recession, with the economy having shrunk by 10% as of September due to COVID-19 quarantine rules and earlier lockdowns.
The Duterte administration is also pining for a record 8-10% growth by 2022, which would require decisive and quick budget spending and project implementation to pull it off.
Both chambers of Congress ratified the budget bill last week, a landmark spending plan that factors in the country’s COVID-19 response and vaccine funding needs.
A ₱72.5 billion allotment is earmarked for vaccine purchases, ₱70 billion of which will be supported either by loans or from excess revenue collections.
It also provides ₱1.1 trillion for infrastructure projects, which are touted to create jobs and boost economic activity after a recession year.
Education will receive the biggest allocation at ₱708.2 billion, followed by Public Works with ₱694.8 billion. Health-related spending is given ₱287.5 billion, according to the office of Senator Sonny Angara, chairman of the Senate finance committee.
