DEPARTMENT of Budget and Management (DBM) Secretary Wendel Avisado on Tuesday, August 25, 2020, submitted to the House of Representatives the proposed P4.506-trillion national budget for 2021.
The amount is 9.9 percent higher than the 2020 budget and is equivalent to 21.8 percent of the gross domestic product (GDP).
House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano said they target to finish deliberations on the budget before the end of September 2020 to be able to send the bill immediately to the Senate.
He hoped the budget bill would be approved and signed by mid-November “as a sign of unity” in the country.
He said departments with frontliners can expect the support of Congress per the instruction of President Rodrigo Duterte.
“Ang instructions po talaga ng Pangulo, lahat ng kailangan ng frontliners ay ibigay,” Cayetano said.
Avisado, in presenting the 2021 budget, said the proposed 2021 National Expenditures Program aims to sustain government efforts in responding to the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic.
Government expenditures will focus on improving the healthcare systems, ensuring food security, creating more jobs by investing in labor-intensive projects, enabling a digital government and economy, and helping communities cope with the pandemic.
The 2021 budget is anchored on the theme, “Reset, Rebound and Recover: Investing for resiliency and sustainability”.
He said the budget will prioritize the social services sector by funding health-related programs to address the pandemic.
Among others, he said it will provide support to the national health insurance program, medical assistance to indigent patients, human resources for health program, and health facilities enhancement program.
The 2021 NEP will also allocate funds for the procurement of a vaccine against Covid-19 and the provision of personal protective equipment (PPE) to government hospitals, laboratories and centers.
Avisado also said education will remain a top priority, with the Department of Education (DepEd) having the biggest allocation to ensure educational continuity amid the health crisis.
The government will also continue to advance the Build, Build, Build program, support efforts to improve the country’s broadband infrastructure, improve productivity in the agriculture and fisheries sector, promote digital upskilling, training and retooling of workers as well as the digitalization of government and the economy.
“Every peso of the P4.506-trillion fiscal year 2021 NEP is geared towards saving lives and protecting communities while making various sectors of the economy stronger and more agile. (Marites Villamor-Ilano/SunStar Philippines)