The Houser of Representatives is already deliberating on the 2020 budget proposal.

Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles is hopeful Congress will immediately pass and approve the 2020 budget to ensure that last year’s delays are not repeated.

Nograles said the General Appropriations Act (GAA) will undergo thorough examination before it reaches the Senate. Plenary debates on the proposed P4.1 trillion 2020 budget started Monday after its approval on third reading.

Once approved by the Senate, the 2020 GAA would immediately undergo bicameral discussions and sent to President Rodrigo Duterte for signing.

“We fully expect President Duterte to sign the General Appropriations Acts by mid-December,” Nograles said.

The 2019 budget worth P3.7 trillion was signed by the Chief Executive only last April after Congress failed to pass the legislation, resulting in delays in implementation of government programs and projects.

“The members of the Senate promised that they would give priority to the budget’s approval. We’re hoping the Senators ensure that last year’s delays would not happen again,” Nograles said.

“We saw the negative effects of the budget impasse on the economy and on government projects, particularly on sectors involved in job generation and livelihood creation. These should be avoided this time around.”

The Palace official said any delays in the budget passage will adversely affect initiatives to combat poverty and hunger.

“We are fully expecting that Congress would support the expansion of programs that would address poverty concerns in 32 priority provinces targeted by the Enhanced Partnership Against Hunger and Poverty (EPAHP), which aims to achieve #GoodbyeGutom,” Nograles said.

He said among the priorities of government is to provide funds to address the education and health needs of schoolchildren.

Nograles stressed that it is the desire of the Duterte administration to provide free insurance coverage under the Universal Health Care Act.