Duterte OKs availability of 2019 budget until end 2020

December 26, 2019

President Rodrigo Duterte has signed into law the bill extending the availability of the 2019 appropriations until end of next year.

Republic Act No. 11464, which Duterte inked on December 20, specifically amended Section 65 of the 2019 General Appropriations Act or RA No. 11260.

Section 65 now provides, "All appropriations authorized in this Act shall be available for release and obligation for the purpose specified, and under the same special provisions applicable thereto, until December 31, 2020."

The new law directed the executive branch to submit a report on the releases and obligations to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the President of the Senate, the House Committee on Appropriations, and the Senate Committee on Finance, either in printed form or by way of electronic document.

The Act shall take effect 15 days after its publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.

The current P3.757 trillion budget was signed into law only by the President last April after the Senate and the House failed to pass the 2019 General Appropriations Bill late last year. 

The government had to operate under a re-enacted budget during the first four months of this year. Celerina Monte/DMS