Palace welcomes budget approval, hopes printed copies relayed soonest

Malacañang on Saturday thanked the House of Representatives for passing on third and final reading the 2021 General Appropriations Bill on time, which happened in the special session called for by President Rodrigo Duterte.

In statement, the Palace said that the chief executive has in many occasions articulated the importance of the timely passage of the budget, especially that the country is in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, where we need resources to fund government interventions to mitigate the effects of the virus.

Likewise, Malacañang expressed hopes that the House would transmit the budget books' printed copy to the Senate soonest, so that the upper chamber would be given ample time to act on this legislative measure, which has been certified urgent by the President.

On the other hand, Presidential Communications Secretary Martin Andanar lauded the House for the approval of the P4.506-trillion 2021 General Appropriations Bill (GAB).

In a separate statement on Saturday, Andanar also expressed hopes that the Senate's deliberation on the 2021 GAB will be swift and efficient so that the nation would be set on the tract to fulfilling the goal of healing, rebounding, and recovering as one nation. —LBG, GMA News