MANILA, Philippines - On its first day of resuming session after a month?s break, the House of Representatives immediately passed the proposed P1.541-trillion budget next year on its third and final reading.

A total of 175 voted in favor of House Bill No. 6767, while six voted against it, with nobody in abstention.

There was quorum, even as several of them are expected to fly to Las Vegas this week to watch yet another fight by local boxing hero Manny Pacquiao, this time against Puerto Rico?s Miguel Cotto.

Speaker Prospero Nograles said there were no changes in the amounts on the line items from the one approved on second reading, but added that he was not sure about the changes that would be made by lawmakers during the bicameral conference committee.

Voting against the budget, Nueva Ecija Representative Eduardo Nonato Joson and Anakpawis party list Representative Rafael Mariano rued against the misappropriated budget, which was heavy on payments of interests on debts rather than on social services.

?The power to appropriate, the power to release and the power to use public funds judiciously and properly in line with our economic plans to national development must begin somewhere and this Congress is the place to begin,? Joson said, explaining his his vote.

While voting for its passage, Abakada party list Representative Jonathan dela Cruz, proposed realignments to address the needs of areas ravaged by the recent typhoons, including a realignment of P15 billion for rebuilding and reconstruction efforts.

Both the House and the Senate in October approved a joint resolution to allow the use of some P12 billion in ?un-programmed? funds under the 2009 budget for areas stricken by the recent calamities.

Nograles said Joint Resolution No. 5 has been signed by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
The proposed 2010 budget is 8.1 percent higher than the 2009 budget of P1.426 trillion.

The higher expenditure program for next year will fund increases in interest payments and salary adjustments due to the implementation of the Salary Standardization Law III.

Allocation for debt service-interest payment increased by P88.2 billion or P340.8 billion or 22 percent of the budget. Personal Services will get P494 billion of the budget or 32 percent. Appropriation for Capital Outlay was down from P233 billion to P183 billion.
Miscellaneous Personnel Benefits Fund (MPBF) will grow by about P49 billion to P76.5 billion.

Priority Development Allocation Fund, or popularly referred to as ?pork barrel? of lawmakers, was P6.9 billion. Aside from their regular Internal Revenue Allotment, local government units will receive a total of P8.2 billion as special shares from proceeds on national taxes.

The top 10 departments that will get the biggest share in the budget are:

*Department of Education (P172.8 billion)

*Department of Public Works and Highways (P105.3 billion)

*Department of Interior and Local Government (P65.4 billion)

*Department of National Defense (P62.7 billion)

*Department of Agriculture (P37.8 billion)

*Department of Health (P28.5 billion)

*Department of Agrarian Reform (P19.7 billion)

*Department of Transportation and Communications (P15 billion)

*Department of Social Welfare and Development (P14.5 billion)

* Judiciary (P13 billion)