Senate starts deliberations on P5.024 trillion budgetSenate President Vicente Sotto III said starting Thursday, sessions will be held in the morning and in the afternoon to ensure the General Appropriations Bill (GAB) is passed before Congress adjourns session on Dec. 17. MANILA, Philippines — The Senate will start today its marathon plenary deliberations on the proposed P5.024-trillion national budget that senators vowed to recast to make it more responsive to the COVID-19 pandemic in terms of reducing infections and reviving the economy. Senate President Vicente Sotto III said starting Thursday, sessions will be held in the morning and in the afternoon to ensure the General Appropriations Bill (GAB) is passed before Congress adjourns session on Dec. 17. Sen. Sonny Angara, who chairs the Senate finance committee, is expected to sponsor on the floor today the proposed budget that already includes many amendments that were mostly on pandemic response. He said 2022 National Expenditure Program submitted by Malacañang to Congress last August did not include several key items related to the country’s response to the pandemic.

Source: Philippine Star November 09, 2021 09:31 UTC