Palace: Final preparations being made for 2011 budget signing

Last-minute preparations are being made with Congress for the signing of the P1.645-trillion national budget for 2011 before the year ends, Malacañang said on Thursday. Presidential Communications Operations Office head Herminio Coloma Jr. said there are some "administrative processes" to handle before the signing can take place. "Merong administrative processes diyan, nagko-coordinate between Congress and DBM. Sa aking pakiwari hinahanda ang lahat para magkaroon ng paglalagda bago matapos ang taon," Coloma said in an interview on dzXL radio. (There are some administrative processes to take care of. Congress and the Department of Budget and Management are coordinating these. But I still believe the budget will be signed into law before this year ends.) Coloma did not specify the "administrative processes" that have to be undertaken. He also did give an exact date on when President Benigno Aquino III would sign the budget. Earlier, Budget Secretary Florencio Abad hinted the signing may take place on December 27. Both houses of Congress already signed their respective bills for the P1.645-trillion national budget. Coloma said it is important for Aquino to sign the budget bill into law before the year ends as it will be the first time in more than 10 years that the budget was signed before a new year begins. "This is the first time in almost 10 years na magaganap (na ang) budget ay tinalakay, inaprubahan at nilagdaan sa loob ng isang taon," he said. (This will be the first time in almost 10 years that we have a budget drafted, deliberated, approved and signed all within the same year.) – VVP, GMANews.TV