THE House of Representatives is set to start tackling the proposed P7.2-trillion national budget for 2027 next week, Manila Rep. Bienvenido Abante Jr. announced on Saturday.
Abante said Nueva Ecija Rep. Michaela Suansing, chair of the House Committee on Appropriations, has scheduled the debates to begin on Monday or less than a week after President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., through acting Budget Secretary Kim Robert de Leon, submitted the budget proposal to the House of Representatives last Tuesday.
The outlay was presented to House officials led by Speaker Faustino “Bojie” G. Dy III and Majority Leader Ferdinand Alexander “Sandro” A. Marcos of Ilocos Norte.
The deliberations will begin with a briefing by the Development Budget Coordination Committee (DBCC) on the sources of financing, expenditure levels and the budget proposals of departments, agencies and government-owned and controlled corporations (GOCCs).
The DBCC is composed of the Department of Budget and Management (DBM); Department of Economy, Planning and Development (DEPDev): Department of Finance (DOF); and the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP).
On Tuesday, the appropriations panel will be briefed by the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR).
Abante explained that what was submitted is the President’s version of the budget or the National Expenditure Program (NEP).
“I should emphasize the constitutional role of Congress in the budget process. The NEP is the Executive’s proposed budget. It is not yet the national budget, sapagkat ang magiging national budget ay yung tatalakayin ng Kongreso, Senado at House of Representatives na magiging General Appropriations Bill,” he told the Saturday News Forum at Dapo Restaurant in Quezon City.
He said that if the Senate and the House pass different versions of the outlay, a conference committee will be convened to reconcile it.
“Pagkatapos niyan, kung merong pagkakaiba ang Senado at House, may bicameral meeting ‘yan para i-reconcile lahat,” he said.
Abante said that after the differing versions are reconciled, the final version is returned to the two chambers for ratification before it is sent to the President for signature.
“After that it will go to the President for his signature. Kapag ‘yan ay pinirmahan ng Pangulo, ‘yan ay magiging General Appropriations Act or law. That would become the national budget,” he stressed.
Abante pointed out that the House leadership has committed to make the budget process transparent.
“Nagpapalamat ako sa leadership ng House of Representatives na ginagawa naming transparent ang deliberations. Kailangang malaman ng taong bayan kung saan napupunta ‘yung budget ng gobyerno sapagkat ‘yan ay pera ng mga nagbabayad ng buwis,” he said.
“Wala dapat sekreto są budget. Kailangan malaman ng taong bayan lahat ng bagay na yan,” he added.
According to the DBM, the agencies and sectors with the largest allocations in the proposed 2027 budget are Department of Education (DepEd): ₱976 billion; Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH): ₱644 billion (including over ₱100 billion for flood control);
Health Sector: ₱353.8 billion (DOH and PhilHealth combined); Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG): ₱332.5 billion; Department of National Defense (DND): ₱328.8 billion; Transport Sector: ₱302.2 billion;
Agriculture Sector: ₱261.7 billion; Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD): ₱241.6 billion; State Universities and Colleges (SUCs): ₱176.5 billion; and Judiciary, P86.3 billion.
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