THE House of Representatives will start plenary debates on the proposed P6.352-trillion 2025 national budget this Monday.
On the eve of the deliberations, Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez said the outlay would support the Agenda for Prosperity and Bagong Pilipinas programs of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos Jr.
“It will be our instrument in directly helping the poor through various social protection, financial aid and medical programs, and in keeping food prices down, particularly the price of rice which has fallen to P42 a kilo,” Romualdez said.
The leader of the 300-plus-strong House said through the budget, “we hope to help our farmers and fisherfolk increase their harvest, which in turn will mean adequate food supply and lower prices for the benefit of all Filipinos.”
Romualdez stressed that the proposed spending program “will also serve as our roadmap for expanding infrastructure and supporting education by funding the building of more road networks and classrooms, especially in underserved communities.”
“It will be our tool for sustaining our country’s economic growth, which we hope to keep at six percent or higher in line with the forecasts of international lending institutions,” he added.
Romualdez thanked House Committee on Appropriations chairman and Ako Bicol Party-list Rep. Zaldy Co and senior vice chairperson and Marikina City Rep. Stella Quimbo of Marikina City for finishing its hearings and endorsing the budget on time.
Under its budget deliberation schedule, the House is devoting eight days for plenary debates, which start at 10 in the morning and will last until the agenda for the day is finished.
It is scheduled to pass the proposed budget on third and final reading on September 25, after tackling funding for the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), Office of the President, and Congress.
The turno en contra (remarks against the spending proposal) and period of amendments are also scheduled for that day.
Tomorrow’s deliberations kick off with a sponsorship speech by Co, followed by debates on general principles and the budgets of the Department of Finance, Department of Justice and National Economic and Development Authority, including their attached agencies, the judiciary, and lump sums.
On deck on Tuesday are the Office of the Ombudsman, Commission on Human Rights, including Human Rights Violations’ Memorial Commission, and the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development, Department of Interior and Local Government, Department of Tourism, and Development of Labor and Employment, and their attached agencies.
Wednesday will see the House tackling the budgets of the Commission on Elections, Department of Agrarian Reform, Department of Foreign Affairs, Department of Trade and Industry, and several executive offices and state colleges and universities.
On Thursday, the House will tackle the budgets of the Department of National Defense, Department of Migrant Workers, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, and their attached agencies, and budgetary support to a number of government corporations.
On Friday, it will be the turn Presidential Communications Office, Department of Science and Technology, Metro Manila Development Authority, and more executive offices and government corporations to defend their funding.
Between Sept. 23 and 25, the budgets of the remaining departments and agencies, and executive offices will be discussed.
These include the departments of agriculture, health, energy, education, social welfare and development, and transportation, Civil Service Commission and Commission on Audit.
Quimbo will take turns in sponsoring the defending the agency budgets.
The recommended reduced funding for the controversial Office of the Vice President (OVP) will be tackled on September 23.
