House approves PHP4.5T national budget for 2021

The House of Representatives has approved the PHP4.5-trillion national budget for 2021 on Friday.

House committee vice chair Joey Salceda stated that institutional amendments amounting to PHP20 billion have been introduced and will be considered during the bicameral conference with the Senate.

Speaker Lord Allan Velasco assured senators that there would be no pork insertions in the budget, and the House aims to transmit the final version of the General Appropriations Bill to the Senate by October 28.

Senator Francis Pangilinan argued that once the budget is approved on third reading, introducing amendments through 'errata' would not comply with constitutional processes.