2020 national budget a top priority when Senate resumes session —Zubiri

As the Senate resumes session next week, the passage of the proposed P4.1-trillion national budget for 2020 would be the senators' top priority, Senate Majority Leader Migz Zubiri said Saturday.

“The Senate Finance Committee will definitely be busy conducting marathon hearings on the proposed P4.1 trillion National Government budget for next year. Congress is set to resume sessions after a one-month recess to tackle the 2020 Budget and other priority measures,” Zubiri said in a statement.

The senator emphasized the importance of the timely passage of the General Appropriations bill as the government had operated on a re-enacted budget during the early months of 2019.

"We had experienced difficulties when we failed to pass the 2019 Budget on time," he explained. "We had a re-enacted budget for the first semester of this year forcing National Government agencies to compress their timelines. Consequently, many important programs and projects for the benefit of our people were delayed.”

Before the Senate's recess, the upper chamber passed Resolution No. 154 authorizing all committees to conduct hearings, meetings, and consultations during the recess to have continuity in the process of passing pending proposed legislation, according to the senator.

Aside from next year’s budget, Zubiri said the Senate also expected to finish plenary debates on eight measures which had been approved at the committee level and were pending second reading.

These bills included:

• Grant of Night Shift Differential Pay for Government Employees including Government-Owned and –Controlled Corporations (Senate Bill No. 643)
• Separate Facility for Prisoners Convicted of Heinous Crimes (SBN 1055)
• Increasing Excise Taxes on Alcohol Products, Heated Tobacco and Vapor Products (SBN 1074)
• Creation of Malasakit Centers in all Department of Health Hospitals (SBN 1076)
• Creation of a National Transportation Safety Board (SBN 1077)
• Amendments to the Anti-Terrorism Act (SBN 1083)
• Creation of the Philippine High School for Sports in New Clark City, Capas, Tarlac (SBN 1086)
• Grant of Teaching Supplies Allowance for Public School Teachers (SBN 1092)

— John Ted Cordero/DVM, GMA News