TINIYAK ni Senate Finance Committee Chairman Juan Edgardo Angara na tutugon ang panukalang 2022 national budget sa paghahanda para sa face-to-face classes sa gitna ng Covid19 pandemic.

Kinumpirma ni Angara na sa kanilang bersiyon ng panukalang 2022 budget, kabuuang P738,627,177,000 ang inilaan nila para sa education sector.

Kabilang dito ang P593,508,292,000 para sa Department of Education; P78,104,409,000 para sa mga state universities and colleges; P14,928,593,000 sa Technical Education and Skills Development Authority; at P52,085,883,000 sa Commission on Higher Education.

Sinabi ni Angara na tiniyak nila sa 2022 proposed budget na mapopondohan ang retrofitting ng mga campus, test sa mga staff at ang pagbili ng mga kagamitan upang matiyak ang ligtas na reopening ng klase.

“It’s a Covid recovery budget. I say that because a lot of the interventions were really dictated by Covid,” pahayag ni Angara.

“Ang nakikita nating pagbabago for 2022, we have to learn to live with the virus. Rather than umiiwas tayo, we have to learn to live with it kasi protektado na tayo by the vaccine. Immunized na tayo, so we have to learn to live with it and adjust to it,” diin pa ng senador.

Pangalawa sa may pinakamalaking budget ang Department of Public Works and Highways, P665,531,476,000, habang pumangatlo ang Department of Health na may PP312,312,370,000.

Batay sa napagkasunduan ng mga senador, sinabi ni Anagra na sisimulan ang plenary debates sa panukalang budget sa Miyerkoles ng umaga at palalawigin hanggang Huwebes o Biyernes.

“Approval on third reading November 25, that’s a Thursday. We have bicameral conference the following week and then hopefully the week after, we can ratify already the bicam report. Second week of December,” dagdag ni Angara.