Senate OKs P5-T budget for 2022

The Senate on Wednesday unanimously approved the government’s proposed P5.024-trillion spending bill on third and final reading on Wednesday. After a Senate vote of 22-0, the measure will now be reviewed by a bicameral conference committee to reconcile differences in the versions of the Senate and House of Representatives. Sen. Juan Edgardo Angara, chair of the Senate finance committee, said the Senate version focused on health and education brought about by developments in the COVID-19 pandemic. The Senate allotted P230.1 billion for the health sector. The Department of Education was earmarked an increase of P6.7 billion while state universities and colleges were given P26.6 billion and P1.5 billion for the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, Angara said. ACT-CIS Rep. Eric Yap, chair of the House appropriations panel, said he hadn’t seen the Senate version but was confident differences could be setted in the conference committee.