Rizal Hall, Malacañan Palace
December 28, 2020

President Rodrigo Roa Duterte leads the ceremonial signing of the General Appropriations Act (GAA) of 2021 at the Rizal Hall in Malacañan Palace on December 28, 2020.

Among the top recipients of the PhP4.506 trillion national budget are the Department of Education (DepEd), Commission on Higher Education (CHED), Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) and state colleges and universities (SUCs) with PhP708.181 billion; Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) with PhP694.822 billion; Department of Health (DOH) with PhP287.472 billion; Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) with PhP247.506 billion; and Department of National Defense (DND) with PhP205.471 billion.

The 2021 GAA includes an allocation of PhP72.5 billion for the purchase, storage, transportation and distribution of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines. Of this amount, PhP2.5 billion is lodged under the DOH while the remaining PhP70 billion is appropriated for unprogrammed funds, dependent upon the government’s revenue next year.

Present in the signing ceremony are Senate President Vicente Sotto III, House of Representatives (HOR) Speaker Lord Allan Jay Velasco, Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri, Senator Christopher Lawrence ‘Bong’ Go, Senator Juan Edgardo Angara, Senator Francis Tolentino, House Majority Floor Leader Representative Martin Romualdez, Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee Representative Eric Yap, House Minority Floor Leader Representative Joseph Stephen Paduano, Valenzuela City First District Representative Weslie Gatchalian, Department of Budget and Management (DBM) Secretary Wendel Avisado, Presidential Legislative Liaison Office (PLLO) Undersecretary Jacinto Paras and DBM Assistant Secretary Rolando Tolentino.