ABS-CBN
Senate slashes P49B from DOTr's 2021 budget to boost fund for COVID-19 vaccine: Poe
The Senate has reduced the proposed budget for the Department of Transportation (DOTr) to P94 billion in their version of the 2021 appropriations bill.
Senator Grace Poe explained that the budget cuts were due to the perceived inability of the DOTr to spend the allocated funds on rail projects given the current phase and demands of other urgent needs.
The initial P145 billion budget for DOTr was first lowered to P125 billion by the House of Representatives and then further reduced to P109 billion in the Senate.
A significant portion of the realigned funds were redirected to boost the budget for COVID-19 vaccines and healthcare services, with P83 billion allocated for vaccine procurement and logistics under the Senate's proposal.
The bicameral committees are currently in deliberations, with the aim of having the 2021 General Appropriations Act ready for the President's signature by December 16.
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Congress has approved the P4.5-trillion national budget for 2021, which includes P72.5 billion for COVID-19 vaccines.
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Senator Juan Edgardo "Sonny" Angara assured that the P70 billion allocated for COVID-19 vaccines is solid funding, not dependent on tax collections but rather on non-tax collections.
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