WITH 257-6 votes and no abstention, the House of Representatives approved on final reading the P4.506-trillion budget for 2021 on Friday, October 16, 2020, the last day of a special session called by President Rodrigo Duterte.
House Bill No. 7727, or the General Appropriations Bill, was approved after four days of marathon plenary sessions that lasted before dawn and a change in the House leadership.
House committee on appropriations chairman Eric Yap said the bill will be submitted to the Senate on October 28.
It will be the Senate’s turn to conduct plenary debates on the government’s proposed spending plan for 2021, which includes allocations for Covid-19 reponse and economic recovery programs.
The House terminated plenary debates, deliberated on proposed amendments and passed the GAB on second reading Friday evening.
Since the bill was certified as urgent by the President, the House conducted nominal voting shortly after the second reading approval.
Only six members of the House voted against the bill.
New House Speaker Lord Allan Jay Velasco, in his closing remarks, described the 2021 expenditure program as “an extraordinary budget for extraordinary times.”
“There is so much at stake here: our health, the economy, jobs and livelihood, food security, the education of our children, and much more,” he said.
He said the 2021 budget is "truly reflective and responsive to the needs of our people."
The House held and concluded plenary debates on the proposed budget of three departments/agencies on October 13, 19 on October 14 and 12 on October 15. On the last day of their special session, they deliberated on the proposed budget of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Department of Budget and Management as well as on the proposed lump sum funds.
Velasco thanked his colleagues for responding to the President’s call for a special session.
“I commend you, my fellow representatives, that despite differences in viewpoints, we have proven to the Filipino people that we can actually work together and get things done. And that as a body, we recognize and uphold a common goal, which is the welfare of our country and people - and that we can set aside personal differences and be bound by shared and noble goals,” he said.
He said they proved that "playing by the rules, without resorting to shortcuts, and keeping time-honored traditions and values," they can produce better and superior outputs.
Velasco assumed the speakership only on Tuesday, October 13, a day after 186 other congressmen out of the 305 members of the House elected him following the ouster of then speaker Alan Peter Cayetano during a session held outside the Batasang Pambansa plenary hall.
The House ratified Velasco’s election on October 13. As Velasco delivered his acceptance speech inside the session hall, Cayetano went on Facebook live to verbally tender his resignation as speaker.
Velasco and Cayetano, in a meeting with President Duterte on the same day, made amends, putting an end to the bitter fight over the speakership that started in July 2019.
The political intramurals had threatened the budget process, especially after Cayetano suspended session on October 6, 11 days ahead of their scheduled break.
Duterte issued Proclamation 1027 on October 9, calling the House to a special session to continue deliberations on the budget and ensure its approval. (Marites Villamor-Ilano/SunStar Philippines)