SB vows approval of P2-T budget

MANILA, Philippines - Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. vowed yesterday that the proposed P2-trillion national budget for 2013 would be ready for signing by President Aquino before year-end.

Belmonte said the House of Representatives “will work intensively for the next few months” on the proposed 2013 General Appropriations Act to give the Senate enough time to consider the proposed national outlay and have the same approved by December.

“We are confident that we can have a Congress-approved 2013 GAA ready for the signature of the President before the year ends,” the House leader said.

“There will be no reenacted budget for the third successive fiscal year,” he added.

Belmonte said he was gratified that Malacañang submitted the money measure early, or a day after President Aquino delivered his State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Monday.

“This is the third time that (Budget) Secretary (Florencio) Abad really managed to submit the proposed spending bill dove-tailing the SONA. This early submission gives us sufficient time to tackle the national outlay, avoiding any budget reenactment,” he said.

Abad said the proposed spending program is P190 billion more than this year’s budget and was based on a higher economic growth assumption of six to seven percent.

He said in terms of allocation by sector, social services would get the biggest slice of the budget with P698.4 billion.

Economic services would be allotted P511.1 billion, up by 16.4 percent from its 2012 budget of P439 billion to support rapid, sustained, and inclusive growth that redounds to all Filipinos in a direct, immediate, and sustainable manner, Abad said.

General public services will take the third largest share with a P346.1-billion allocation, higher by eight percent than its current appropriation of P320.3 billion.

Meanwhile, Zambales Rep. Milagros Magsaysay scored Abad for deliberately withholding pork barrel allocations to lawmakers criticizing Aquino, including herself, Camarines Sur Rep. Diosdado Arroyo, and Ang Galing Pinoy party-list Rep. Juan Miguel Arroyo in the last two years.