MANILA, Philippines — The House of Representatives will try to finish deliberations on the proposed P4.506 trillion national budget for 2021 by the end of September, Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano said on Tuesday. Cayetano made the remark after the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) submitted to the House the proposed budget for 2021, which is 9.9 percent higher than the 2020 budget. ADVERTISEMENT“We will try to finish the budget before the end of September, a very ambitious schedule, to send it right away to the Senate,” Cayetano said. “We will not put anything here that will be so easy na magkaron ng graft and corruption,” Cayetano said. Budget Secretary Wendel Avisado said the proposed 2021 budget focuses on government spending on improving the country’s healthcare systems, ensuring food security, creating more jobs by investing in labor-intensive projects, enabling a digital government and economy, and helping communities cope.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer August 25, 2020 08:15 UTC