The Senate version
       After examining the budget with a fine-toothed comb during the six-month period set aside for the Committee of the Whole sessions, we have come up with our proposed amendments to the House bill.
       Our amendments, Mr. President, yielded an increase of P4,428,467,000 and a decrease of P35,542,726,000 resulting to a net cut of P31,114,259,000. As per the Senate version, the amended totals are as follows:
       The following are some of the highlights of the Senate amendments:
       • Increase of P100 million under the University of the Philippines System for the implementation of free college education scholarship programs
       • Increase of P300 million under the Department of Health for the implementation of free medical and dental assistance programs to indigent patients, and P50 million for information and education campaign on breastfeeding
       • Increase of P100 million under the Commission on Higher Education for the implementation of free college education scholarship programs
       • Increase of P50 million under the Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization Program for the Young Farmers Program
       • Cut of P2.721 billion from airports and navigational facilities under the Department of Transportation and Communications
       • Cut of P65.534 million from the Presidential Commission on Good Government
       • Deletion of the P13.1-billion Compensation Adjustment Fund in view of the fact that the bill for this purpose has already been passed by both Houses of Congress and is awaiting a bicameral conference.
       • Deletion of P10 billion for the incentive package for employees availing themselves of the Rationalization Program under the Pension and Gratuity Fund because as per consultations with agencies, the rationalization program has not taken off this year.
       • Deletion of the Kilos Asenso Support Fund
       • Deletion of the Kalayaan Barangay Program Fund

Some of the proposed Special and General Provisions consist of the following:
       • Department of Energy: Special Provision No. 1 on the Use of Income is amended by deleting the proviso specifying that the earmarked revenue of P884.493 million for local government units intended for various projects shall be subject to the recommendation of the LGU and the representatives of the legislative districts concerned.
       • Energy Regulatory Commission: Delete the new Special Provision No. 1 on the Use of Income.
       • Priority Development Assistance Fund: Amendment of Special Provision No. 1 on the Use and Release of the fund, deleting the proviso earmarking P300 million in seed money for the Kalinga Pilipinas Congressional District Housing Program at P5 million per district.
       • Commission on Elections: Amendment of Special Provision No. 2 on Election Modernization, by adding the requirement that “the procurement of machines, devices, equipment and software for the automation of elections shall be consistent with the decision of the Supreme Court in the case of Information Technology Foundation, et al. vs. Comelec, and that the provisions of RA 9184 shall be strictly complied with.
       • New General Provision requiring all agencies with special accounts to submit quarterly reports to the Senate Committee on Finance, the House Committee on Appropriations, and to the DBM
       • New General Provision on the Establishment of Regulatory Audit Team for all departments, bureaus and offices to determine rules and regulations that are duplicative or overlapping in nature, obsolete or unnecessary, and to submit the same to the Senate Committee on Finance and the House Committee on Appropriations.
       • New General Provision requiring the DBM to submit to the Senate Committee on Finance and the House Committee on Appropriations quarterly reports of the releases from the Special Purpose Lump-sum Funds.
       In closing, Mr. President, allow me to emphasize that what we seek to enact is a responsible and prudent budget, one that is concerned with quantity as well as quality of spending. Let us strive for budget discipline because there is no such thing as a free lunch . . . but there is such a thing as passing the bill on to the next generation. Let us keep in mind that fiscal responsibility entails having the right spending priorities, so that if additional revenues can sustain a much bigger budget, the extra layers of fat are added where they will lead to fiscal health and not to an obese budget, thus boosting the economic well-being of the nation.
       The budget is too important a financial document to be trifled with. In a country where 26.5 million Filipinos or more than one-third of the country’s population live below the poverty line, enacting a fiscally responsible budget that will truly help uplift living conditions by moving the economy forward is a political legacy that the Senate, as a hallowed institution, will be immensely proud to bequeath to the Filipino people.