Senate remains on track to approve 2013 budget

SENATORS are on track to finish the deliberation and subsequent approval of the proposed P2.006-trillion budget for 2013, the chairperson of the Senate finance committee said Tuesday.

Hearings on the individual budgets of departments are expected to continue until October 17 as Senator Franklin Drilon said the country is gaining the benefits of a national expenditure program enacted on time.

"A delayed budget approval translates to a delayed service for the people, especially for the poor and marginalized sector in the society," he said.

Drilon said he expects the House of Representatives to submit its version of the 2013 budget to the Senate by the third week of October. His committee, likewise, will submit the proposed budget for the Senate floor deliberations by the second week of November.

Budget hearings recently experienced cancellations because of inclement weather and holidays. 

The hearings will also have to be shelved for two session breaks from October 1 to 5 to give way to lawmakers to file their certificate of candidacies and from October 19 to November 4 for the Halloween break.

Congress is expected to submit the budget for President Benigno Aquino III’s signature by the second week of December.

So far, Drilon said, the committee was able to discuss the proposed budgets of the Office of the President, P2.73 billion; Office of the Vice President, Presidential Management Staff, P330.63 million; Department of Foreign Affairs, P11.64 billion; Commission on Elections, P8.42 billion; Department of Labor and Employment, P2.78 billion; the Judiciary, P17.77 billion; Department of Justice, P10.84 billion; Department of Social Welfare and Development, P55.98 billion; and Department of Trade and Industry, P4.09 billion.

Completing the list are Dangerous Drugs Board, P181.94 million; Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, P800.04 million; National Intelligence Coordinating Agency, P491.32 million; National Security Council, P113.43 million; Presidential Legislative Liaison Office, P35.47 million; Presidential Communications Operations Office, P1.31 billion; and Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning Office, P68.72 million. (Virgil Lopez/Sunnex)