Press Release November 29, 2016 Senate, House Convene Bicam on 2017 Nat'l Budget The Senate and the House of Representatives convened today the bicameral conference committee to reconcile the differences in their respective versions of the proposed 2017 national budget worth P3.350 trillion. The bicam was convened after the Senate approved on Monday the proposed 2017 General Appropriations Act (GAA). "I thank my fellow senators for their support and cooperation in the timely approval of the budget. This is the first budget of the new administration and we hope this will be spent judiciously to deliver long-term solutions to our country's long-term problems, to deliver the change that our people want and need," said Senator Loren Legarda, Chair of the Senate Committee on Finance. Legarda said that the 2017 national budget was crafted in line with the 10-Point Socioeconomic Agenda of President Rodrigo Duterte. A leap in infrastructure spending is one of the priorities of the 2017 budget given its indispensable role in reducing poverty, raising productivity, and spreading the benefits of economic growth. Among the most important amendments introduced by the Senate are the P3 billion increase in the Philhealth budget so that all Filipinos will now be covered by the universal healthcare program; and the P2 billion Irrigation Fees Subsidy in the budget of the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) so that irrigation service fees will no longer be collected from farmers' associations. Additional allocation was provided for state universities and colleges (SUCs) for scholarships for all indigenous peoples and indigent students, especially those under the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), and for across the board capital outlay increase for all SUCs. The Senate also provided funding for the one-time cash grant of centenarians in line with the Filipino Centenarians Act; increased allocation for prisoners' daily subsistence allowance; additional funds for the Department of Social Welfare and Development's (DSWD) supplemental feeding program; increased budget for the combat duty pay of soldiers; allocation for the Department of Interior and Local Government's (DILG) MASA MASID or Mamamayang Ayaw sa Anomalya, Mamamayang Ayaw sa Iligal na Droga; and support for the Judiciary. The Senate also proposed the following special and general provisions:
Other personnel to be given rice subsidies are the military and uniformed personnel of the Philippine Army, Philippine Air Force, and Philippine Navy.
Legarda also ensured continued support for heritage, arts and culture, as well as programs for disaster and climate resilience under the 2017 GAA. "This is a pro-people budget--one that will be felt by those at the grassroots as it prioritizes rural development, infrastructure and social services. We hope that these resources allocated to deliver programs are not only spent, but also spent well," Legarda concluded. |
Wednesday, March 27
Tuesday, March 26
|