Philippines' lower chamber of congress approves proposed 2021 budget to help fight COVID-19

The House of Representatives of the Philippines on Friday approved the proposed a 4.5-trillion-peso (92-billion-U.S. dollar) national budget for 2021 to assist the country's efforts to fight COVID-19.

The members of the lower chamber passed the proposed budget for 2021 on the third and final reading with 257 yes votes, six no votes, and zero abstention.

The proposed budget will be transmitted later this month to the Senate for more scrutiny before it will be sent to President Rodrigo Duterte for approval.

The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) said the proposed 2021 budget aims to sustain the government's efforts to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic by further strengthening the healthcare systems, ensuring food security, increasing investments in public and digital infrastructure, and helping communities cope with the impact of the pandemic.

The DBM said the theme "Reset, Rebound and Recover: Investing for resiliency and sustainability" this year is "consistent with the Duterte administration's goal of saving lives and protecting communities while making different sectors of the economy stronger and more agile."

According to the DBM, the 2021 budget is 9.9 percent higher than the 2020's 4.1-trillion-peso (84-billion-U.S. dollar) national budget and equivalent to 21.8 percent of gross domestic product (GDP).

The Philippines continues to grapple with an increasing number of coronavirus cases despite the strict seven-month lockdown measures the government imposed in mid-March to contain the spread of the virus.

The Philippines has confirmed 351,750 COVID-19 cases, including 6,531 deaths and 294,865 recoveries.

(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)