THE House Committee on Appropriations on Tuesday night wrapped up its deliberations on the proposed P5.768 trillion national budget for 2024, allowing lawmakers to now prepare for the plenary deliberations on next year’s General Appropriations Bill (GAB).
The panel chaired by Rep. Zaldy Co (PL, Ako Bicol) ended the committee deliberations after resuming the discussions on the proposed budget for the Commission on Higher Education (CHED).
Co said the next phase of the budget process is the consolidation of all recommendations and amendments before the GAB is brought for discussions in the plenary.
“We have taken significant strides towards finalizing the 2024 budget, which promises to be a landmark budget focused on national growth and the welfare of the Filipino people,” Co said in a statement. “The work is far from over, but the completion of these budget briefings marks a critical milestone in our journey towards a more prosperous and equitable Philippines.”
Co thanked his colleagues “who have worked meticulously in reviewing and suggesting valuable inputs for the budget.”
He also said this year’s budget briefings “have been marked by transparent and rigorous discussions, aiming to cover all sectors adequately and to meet the nation’s priorities.”
“Various government agencies presented their budget proposals, after which the members of the committee took turns scrutinizing the figures, questioning methodologies, and proposing amendments,” Co said.
The Bicolano lawmaker emphasized the importance of timeliness in passing the budget to ensure that government programs and services do not experience any disruptions.
“I remain committed to my promise to expedite the passage of the 2024 GAA. It is our moral and civic duty to ensure that the budget is enacted efficiently, but also effectively, so as to better serve our fellow Filipinos,” he said.
The House appropriations panel, however, has been heavily criticized by the Makabayan bloc after it prematurely terminated the deliberations on the proposed budgets of the Office of the President (OP) and the Office of Vice President (OVP), citing the long-standing tradition of parliamentary courtesy to a co-equal branch of government.
The OP is asking Congress for a P4.5 billion confidential fund while the OVP wants P500 million for the same purpose, which is on top of the Department of Education’s (DepEd) proposed P150 million secret funds.
The DepEd is also headed by Vice President Sara Duterte as concurrent secretary.
