The priority of the House of Representatives will be the proposed P1.227 trillion national budget for 2008 approved by the president yesterday, Rep. Jose Carlos Lacson (Neg. Occ., 3 rd district) said yesterday.

But the House committee chairmanships have to be decided on first before they can begin tackling the budget by August, he said.

Iloilo Rep. Arthur Defensor is the new Majority Leader of the House of Representatives , while Rep. Neptali Gonzales III of Mandaluyong is Senior Deputy Floor Leader, Lacson said.

The deputy speakers are Simeon Datumanong of Maguindanao, Arnulfo Fuentebella of Camarines Sur, Raul del Mar of Cebu and Eric Singson of Ilocos Sur, he added.

Rep. Prospero Nograles of Davao City heads the House contingent in the Committee on Appointments, Lacson also said.

Representatives Edcel Lagman of Albay and Junie Cua of Quirino are expected to share the chairmanship of the appropriations committee.

A day after she delivered her 7th State of the Nation Address, the president approved the proposed P1.227 trillion national budget for 2008, a Malacañang press statement said yesterday.

Budget Secretary Rolando Andaya Jr. said the proposed national allocation is P91 billion higher than this year’s general appropriations of P1.136 trillion. Of the P1.227 trillion allocation, P11.5 billion will fund projects mentioned by the President in her SONA, Andaya said.

He said the budget proposal will be submitted to Congress on Aug. 22, two days ahead of the deadline set law.

Under the proposed 2008 budget, he said, the focus is on priority sectors like infrastructure, education, health, science and technology, including housing and salary adjustments for the state workers.

Under the 2007 budget, the economic services allocation was pegged at 21.7 percent of the general appropriations or P246.19 billion. This was increased to 23.6 percent in the 2008 budget, or equivalent to P289.94 billion, the press statement said.

Also under the 2007 budget, funding for social services accounted for 28.3 percent of the national allocation or P321.982 billion. In the 2008 budget this will be increased to 29.7 percent or P363.985 billion.

The comparison of the budgetary allocations of five executive departments in 2007 and 2008 are: Department of Education P141.4 billion to P145 billion, Public Works and Highways P79.6B to P93.5B, National Defense - P55B to P56B, Interior and Local Gov’t P53.2 to P52.5B and Agriculture P18.9B to P 21.7B, the press statement said.

Andaya said that the allocations for the following government agencies and programs will also increase in 2008: Department of Science and Technology (DOST) P5.522 billion from P3.646 billion in 2007 (up 51 percent); Department of Health, up by 22 percent or P2.715 billion ( inclusive of P1 billion fund for the government hospitals). Philippine Sports Commission, P220 million from P149 million in 2007 (up 47 percent).

The top gainers in terms of budgetary allocations under the 2008 proposed budget are the Department of Education P3.320 billion; DOST, 1.876 billion; Health, 2.715 billion; DOTC, 2.594; DSWD, 776 million;

DPWH, 13.830 billion; National Housing Authority (NHA), P4.43 billion; salary adjustments, an additional of P30 billion which will be fully implemented next year, and P11 billion for the implementation of the salary standardization law implementation next year, the press statement said.

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