HOUSE leaders led by Speaker Martin G. Romualdez on Monday received from the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) the proposed P5.268-trillion national budget, a measure that is envisioned to pave the way for economic recovery during the first year of President
Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.
Romualdez described the proposed appropriations measure, spelled out in the National Expenditure Program (NEP) submitted by the DBM, as an exceptional fiscal program carefully formulated to provide a
continuing booster shot to revitalize an economy still feeling the ill effects of the pandemic.
“We welcome the submission of the proposed 2023 national budget that will provide the broad strokes needed to speed up our economic recovery,” Romualdez said.
“The House of the People will effectively respond to the needs of the people, and we will do our best to address the continued impact of the health crisis, create more jobs and ensure food security,” Romualdez said.
“We will make sure that every centavo will be spent wisely to implement programs that would save lives, protect communities and make our economy strong and more agile. In partnership with the Senate and Malacañang, the House leadership will continue the Build, Build, Build program and create more jobs,” he declared.
Romualdez, along with House leaders Majority Leader Manuel Jose “Mannix” Dalipe, Minority Leader Marcelino Libanan, House Committee on Appropriations chairman Rep. Zaldy Co and his senior vice chairperson, Rep. Stella Luz A. Quimbo, received the budget document from the DBM.
The proposed P5.268-trillion proposed national budget, the highest ever if approved by Congress, is P244 billion more than this year’s spending program.
“And as the highest ever spending proposal ever to reach the halls of Congress, we will make sure that each bit of spending will contribute to our goal of reigniting the fires of our economic forges and at
least propel the country to reach economic growth at pre-pandemic levels,” Romualdez expressed.
“As such, the House leadership is eyeing to finish committee and plenary deliberations on the budget proposal before October 1, or before the 19th Congress go on its first recess that will last up to
Nov. 6. We will perform our constitutional mandate to scrutinize next year’s national budget,” he said.
Romualdez bared that the Committee on Appropriations will “hit the ground running” and start budget deliberations at the committee level on Aug. 26. The Speaker is optimistic that the House of
Representatives will be able to scrutinize, deliberate and pass a general appropriations bill before the appointed deadline.
“The passage of the 2023 national budget will be transparent. This will be a product of the entire House of Representatives where the majority will listen to the concerns of our friends from the minority
bloc. In a manner of speaking, this will be a ‘Unity National Budget’ because we plan to get the widest consensus on our spending plan,” the Speaker said.
