Budget bill to reach Senate floor by November

MANILA -- A Senate committee will be concluding its hearing on the individual allocation of departments in two weeks before submitting the 2013 budget bill for floor deliberations by the second week of November.

So far, the committee on finance chaired by Senator Franklin Drilon was able to hear the proposed budgets of all key departments except for the Departments of Transportation and Communication, Agriculture, Agrarian Reform and Energy.

Also, the committee has approved and will submit all the budgets of the departments they have already heard except for the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, the Commission on Elections, and the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority whose budgets are yet to be approved.

"We will not allow any delay in the approval of the budget. We are committed to pass the budget on time in order to enable the government to implement its crucial projects and programs especially infrastructure at the start of the year to take advantage of good weather in the early months," said Drilon.

Drilon added he expects the House of Representatives will submit its version of the proposed budget to the Senate before Congress takes a short break in the third week of October.

Leaders of Congress earlier vowed to submit the budget bill for the consideration of President Benigno Aquino III by the second week of December. (Virgil Lopez/Sunnex)