THE House of Representatives yesterday approved on final reading the extension of the validity of this year’s P4.5 trillion national budget until the end of 2022 because of delays in spending caused by the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.
Congressmen voted 168-6, with no abstention, in favor of Rep. Eric Yap’s (PL, ACT-CIS) House Bill No. 10373 which seeks to amend Republic Act No. 11518 or the General Appropriations Act 2021.
Yap, who chairs the committee on appropriations, said he filed the measure because there are still programs, projects, and activities funded by the 2021 GAA that are yet to be implemented until now.
“It’s very much needed by the Filipino people, especially those in the most vulnerable sector,” he said. “The bill seeks to extend the availability of the 2021 national appropriations from December 31, 2021 to December 31, 2022. This is to allow the agencies to fully utilize the allocated budget for 2021 to implement government programs and projects and to ensure that the intended beneficiaries of these basic services are reached,” Yap said.
Yap said the 2021 national budget is not only focused on the administration’s priority programs but also “guarantees a strong response against the pandemic.”
COVID-19, he said, did not only slow down socio-economic growth and development but also “brought disruptions in the operations of government, which then caused delay in the release and issuances of budget allocations.”
