Philippines lower house approves $98.6 billion 2022 budget

MANILA: The Philippines' lower house of Congress has approved on third and final reading President Rodrigo Duterte's proposed 5.02 trillion pesos ($98.64 billion) budget for 2022, aimed at breathing life back into an economy battered by the pandemic.

Duterte's record spending plan, up 11.5% from this year's budget, is his last before his six-year term ends in June 2022.

While the budget met little resistance in a lower house, dominated by Duterte's allies, it will likely face tougher scrutiny in the Senate, which has been holding an investigation into the government's use of pandemic funds.