MANILA, Philippines – The Senate, in the first half of the first regular session of the current 15th Congress, laid down legislation that would serve as cornerstones for other laws that would further address the economic needs of the Filipino people, build more infrastructures called for by investors to facilitate trade and generate employment, lessen corruption in government and establish the proper environment for reconciliation and peace. In his speech the other night before the Senate went into a month-long Christmas recess starting Friday, Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile said all the efforts of the senators in their legislative work after the May 10 national elections was aimed at bringing about national stability and unity.
“As we take a break from our tasks as legislators and join the rest of he nation in celebrating the Yuletide season, I enjoin each one to reflect on what we, the Senate, can do to help our country and people attain progress collectively and individually,’’ Enrile said.
Enrile said that records of the Upper House showed that its approval of the national budget (the proposed 2011 P1.64-trillion budget) was the earliest since 1987 or since the Eighth Congress. Ratification of the budget by both legislative chambers is also the earliest since the Eighth Congress.
Sen. Franklin M. Drilon, finance committee chairman, described the 2011 General Appropriations Act (GAA) as an ‘’unabashedly pro-poor’’ budget because it contained, among others, direct cash transfer to the poorest of the poor and a heavy infusion of funds on basic education.
The direct cash transfer is the P21-billon conditional cash transfer (CCT) program set to directly reach out to 2.3 million ‘’poorest of the poor’’ families by giving each identified family a stipulated amount of cash, subject to conditions.
Mario Casayuran, Manila Bulletin
