Lawmaker lauds early submission of proposed 2018 nat'l budget

A lawmaker on Saturday lauded the plan of the Department of Budget and Management to submit the proposed P3.767 trillion budget for 2018 on the day of President Rodrigo Duterte's second State of the Nation Address (SONA) on July 24.

House of Representatives Committee on Appropriations chairman Karlo Nograles referred to this as "another step in the right direction."

"To possibly have the earliest submission of the proposed budget in our country's history, only goes to show that the president and his men are working doubly hard to make sure that  the fruits of this administration's reforms will be felt by the poorest of the poor," Nograles said in a statement.

He said an early submission of the budget will give lawmakers more time to study and dissect the proposed budgets for every government agencies.

"As Chair of the House Appropriations committee I will match this with equal dedication to make sure that we will pass the budget the earliest possible time so that we can have more time to push other key legislations that support the president's reform agenda," Nograles said.

"We assure the public that the administration's budget proposal as contained in the national expenditure program (NEP) will go through a fine-toothed comb as we perform our duty to ensure that every peso counts in providing much needed services to our people particularly those in the countryside, the far flung and remote areas," he added.

Budget priorities

Nograles said he would like to see more government funds allotted for education, infrastructure, health, employment generation, peace and order and poverty alleviation.

"Every budget season brings with it hope for a better beginning for the coming year. Ito ay simbolo ng bagong simula para sa napakarami nating mga kababayan na umaasa sa tulong ng gobyerno para sa magandang kinabukasan para sa pamilya at bayan," Nograles said.

On Friday, Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno said it would be the first time a President would submit a proposed national budget on the first day of Congress' session.

The biggest chunk of the 2018 budget will go to education with P691.1 billion.

Diokno said the proposed national budget will include P10 billion for the rehabilitation of Marawi City, which has become a war zone following the Maute group's attack last May 23. —Anna Felicia Bajo/ALG, GMA News