House approval of P2-trillion 2013 national budget set Oct. 15

MANILA, Philippines - The House of Representatives is set to pass on third and final reading by Oct. 15 the proposed P2-trillion national budget for 2013, Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. said yesterday.

Belmonte said a small panel headed by House committee on appropriations chair and Cavite Rep. Joseph Abaya is currently making amendments to House Bill 6455 or the General Appropriations Bill (GAB) as introduced by the lawmakers.

“This (creation of special committee) has always been the practice so that amendments can be made to the budget,” the Speaker said, even as he stressed that this is the third straight year for the House to approve the proposed budget on time.

The chamber last week approved on second reading the proposed expenditure program, which is 10.5 percent or P190 billion higher than this year’s P1.816 trillion, consisting of P1.251 trillion of programmed new appropriations and P117.5 billion in standby funds.

Belmonte earlier said the 2013 budget would “ensure sustained services to the people and accountability of government agencies.”

“We strongly believe this spending bill will ensure sustained service to our people and maximize the developmental use of the people’s money by improving accountability in the budget process,” he told lawmakers last week.

He said a “reenacted budget” is a thing of the past since the assumption of the 15th Congress.

“We are now well on our way towards having a budget law by January, as promised.”

“The high marks our people gave the President and Congress only suggest that we are on the right path. Their mandate is for us to continue pursuing national reformation,” he added.

The social services sector will get the largest share with P698.8 billion or 34.8 percent of the proposed budget, followed by the economic services sector with P511.1 billion or 25.5 percent.

The general public services sector will take the third largest share with P346 billion or 17.2 percent, he said.

The defense sector will get of P89.7 billion or 4.5 percent of the total budget.

By regional allocation, Mindanao will get P256.6 billion or 26.1 percent; the Visayas, P193.8 billion or 19.6 percent, and Luzon will get the biggest at P538 billion or 54.3 percent.