ShareThisMANILA – President Aquino is expected to sign into law before the year ends the newly Congress-approved general appropriations bill embodying the P3-trillion national government budget for 2016.
Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said that after the approval, the Senate budget bill will now go to the bicameral conference committee for deliberation.
“Ikinagagalak natin ang pagpasa ng Senado sa 2016 National Budget at ito ay nagbibigay-daan para sa panimula ng kanilang conference committee deliberation. Karaniwang inihahambing ang bersyon na inaprubahan ng Kamara at ‘yung sa Senado at tinitiyak nila na magtutugma ‘yung ipipresenta nila na pinal na bersyon o pinal na batas na tatawaging “General Appropriations Act of 2016”,” said Coloma.
Pres. Aquino
The Palace official is optimistic that the budget bill will be ready for President Aquino’s signature next month.
“Katulad ng naganap para sa budget ng 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 at 2015, umaasa tayo na maihahanda ito para lagdaan na ni Pangulong Aquino sa loob ng papasok na buwang Disyembre; at para naman maging epektibo sa unang araw ng budget period na tinutukoy at iyon ay ang calendar year 2016,” said Coloma.
“Sa lahat po ng nakaraang pagkakataon, tuwing January 1 ng natukoy na taon ay effective na kaagad ang ating national budget at ito ay magandang senyales na hinggil po sa kalidad ng pamamahala ng ating administrasyon at pagtupad din po ito sa pangako na open, transparent at accountable ang ating pamahalaan,” Coloma further said.
The proposed P3-trillion budget for 2016 was approved by the Senate on November 26 while the House approved their version of the budget on October 9 after Malacañang submitted it in July.
The biggest share in the budget will go to the Department of Education followed by the Department of Public Works and Highways, Department of National Defense and Department of Health.
Aside from the K-12 Basic Education Reform Program, DepEd’s proposed budget includes Basic Education Facilities program amounting to P82.3 billion for the construction of 47,553 classrooms and technical-vocational laboratories