The House Committee on Appropriations has approved the P4.1-trillion proposed national budget for 2020.
This, following the series of budget briefings that were conducted for all the departments and their line agencies.
Prior to its approval, the house panel conducted an executive session, which Committee on Appropriations Chair Isidro Ungab said has become a tradition in the lower house of Congress.
Ungab reported that the approval of the bill had been a breeze.
“There were no objections, only manifestations, madali lang na-approve namin,” Ungab said.
This marked the beginning of the plenary debate Ungab will defend the committee-level approved budget.
The plenary debate will pave the way for other congressmen to contest or question the appropriated fund in some government agencies.
With this, House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano has appealed for the cooperation of his fellow lawmakers for the immediate passage of the proposed budget.
Meanwhile, Ungab has earlier admitted that there had been attempts from other congressmen to insert around P70-B to P90-B in the budget for the public works projects in their respective districts.
“I have to be prank and honest. Mahirap talaga kasi malaki yung amount. Mahirap ma-entertain yung kanilang request,” Ungab said.
He assured, however, that there was no pork barrel inserted in the national budget.
The plenary debate is expected to run for two weeks, with the approval of the budget to take place before the first session break on October 4. (from the report of Joan Nano) /mbmf
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