2019 budget ratified today.

After months of delay, the Senate and the House of Representatives are expected to finally sign today the stalled P3.757-trillion national budget for this year, ratify it within the day and submit it for President Duterte’s immediate signature.

The camp of Camarines Sur Rep. Rolando Andaya Jr., chairman of the committee on appropriations and head of the House contingent to the bicameral conference committee, has indicated the readiness of Congress leaders to sign the budget measure.

“The House panel is ready to sign bicam report anytime, as long as the senators agree on final copy,” an insider said, acknowledging that Andaya and his Senate counterpart, Sen. Loren Legarda – chair of the finance committee – reached an agreement Wednesday night.

Legarda herself posted on social media that both cham- bers are set to sign the 2019 General Appropriations Bill (GAB) at 9 a.m. today and have it ratified by 3 p.m. when both houses resume their sessions for the last time before the campaign break.

Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has called on her 291 House colleagues to “rebook” their scheduled flights to their districts so they would be able to help the chamber ratify this year’s budget, or a week before the start of the campaign season.

House Minority Leader Danilo Suarez said they would not stand in the way of GAB’s approval.

“When passed, the House minority hopes that the 2019 budget shall bear much fruit in the form of finished infrastructure projects, adequate medical supplies, accessible quality health services, successful anti-poverty programs and transparent elections,” he said.