House begins budget debates

MANILA, Philippines - The House of Representatives begins floor debates today on the proposed P3.002-trillion national budget for next year.

Davao City Rep. Isidro Ungab, appropriations committee chairman, will sponsor and defend the budget proposal.

He said the opening debates would focus on the macro-economic assumptions and general principles the administration used in putting together the proposed spending program for 2016.

“We intend to finally approve the budget before the end of the year as what we have done in the past five years,” he said.

On hand to help Ungab in today’s debates are Budget Secretary Florencio Abad, Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima, Economic Planning Secretary Arsenio Balisacan, and Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Amando Tetangco Jr.

The four officials compose the Development Budget Coordinating Committee.

Tomorrow or on Wednesday, the discussions will shift to the budgets of departments and agencies and corporations under them.

On the eve of the debates, Isabela Rep. Rodolfo Albano III said he expects many of his colleagues to attend the sessions devoted to the budget.

“Let us show up in the last two weeks of sessions before we go on our first recess on October 10 so we can pass the budget,” he said.

The House is scheduled to approve the budget proposal on second reading before next weekend’s break.

The Ungab committee will use the recess to print the budget for third and final-reading approval when session resumes on Nov. 2.

Lawmakers seeking reelection or higher or lower office will file their certificates of candidacy on Oct. 12-16.

With the start of plenary deliberations on the budget, the controversial proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) and other measures take a back seat.

The House had planned to pass the BBL last week, but frequent lack of quorum prevented it from doing so. It is hoping it could do it between Nov. 2 and Dec. 16 before the Christmas break.

Cagayan de Oro City Rep. Rufus Rodriguez, who heads the ad hoc committee on the draft BBL, said there is still a “narrow window” for approving the proposed law that would create a new autonomous Bangsamoro region in Muslim Mindanao before yearend.