SENATOR Loren Legarda, chair of the Senate committee on finance, on Sunday, January 13, said that the Senate will prioritize the passage of the proposed 2019 national budget when session resumes on Monday, January 14.
Upon resumption of session, the budget of the following agencies will be subject to plenary debates: Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), Department of Tourism (DOT), Department of National Defense (DND), Department of Health (DOH), Bureau of Immigration, Commission on Elections (COMELEC), Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB), Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), Presidential Legislative Liaison Office (PLLO), and National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP).
The Senate aims to approve the budget by January 21, to be followed by the convening of a bicameral conference committee, then the approval of the bicameral report by both the House and the Senate before the last day of session on February 6.
“We aim to have the budget signed by the President by the second week of February,” said Legarda. (PR)