PRESIDENT Arroyo yesterday lauded the Senate and House for
breaking the deadlock on the P1.126-trillion 2007 national budget.
"A win-win solution has been reached to seal our continuing
fiscal strength and economic growth in front of rising confidence, investments
and jobs for the people," Arroyo said in a statement.
Arroyo said the budget is important in the fight against
poverty and brings to the grassroots the fruits of the government’s reform
measures.
"We must steel the pillars of the economy as we move towards
closer integration in ASEAN and East Asia, and propel the Philippines on the
prosperity track with all institutions of governance rowing together in one
direction," she said.
Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said the Palace will still
push for a P10 billion typhoon rehabilitation fund in order to help the regions
devastated by the super typhoons.
The bicameral conference committee deliberating on the budget
on Thursday agreed to realign the P4.7-billion fund for the food-for-school
program to the following: P2.613 billion to the DepEd’s school building program;
P2 billion to the nutrition feeding program to be administered by DepEd; and
P873 million to the hiring of additional teachers.
The new allocation for the school building program will
result in the construction of 5,400 classrooms in addition to the 12,226 new
classrooms that will be built under the original budget proposal.
The bicam committee also agreed to retain the P400-million
intelligence fund of the Office of the President out of respect to the tradition
of Congress allowing Malacañang to determine the appropriations for the OP.
The reconciled version of the budget will be submitted to
Congress for ratification when session resumes in Jan. 22.
Sen. Franklin Drilon, Senate finance committee chair, said President Arroyo
is expected to sign the budget into law before Congress adjourns on Feb. 10 for
the campaign period. – Regina Bengco
