MANILA, Philippines – A P4.1 trillion national budget for 2020 is in the third and final reading in the Senate and is likely to be approved.

The 22 senators voted in favor of the session, without opposition and without abstention.

Sen. Sonny Angara, chair of the Senate committee on finance will lead the 15 senators who will serve as Senate representatives on the bicameral conference committee.

The proposed budget includes additional funding for the Teacher Salary Subsidy increase.

Angara had previously assured that the new legislation signed by President Duterte would be funded under the proposal.

The funds raised include the Department of Education (P6 billion); State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) (P1.158 billion); salaries of government nurses (P3.173 billion); and P920 million for the salary upgrade of soldiers in the Philippine Army; P150 million to Veterans Memorial Medical Center (VMMC) for medicine and hiring new personnel.

It will also allocate P1.529 billion for the Salary Standardization Law 5 of PNP staff and P32 billion to the Miscellaneous Personnel Benefits Fund. (Chris Figueroa/IAMIGO/CNS)