President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. (center) with Senate President Francis Escudero (right) and House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez. (File photo)
MANILA – Congress will pass the proposed PHP6.352-trillion national budget for 2025 on time, the Senate and House leaders vowed Wednesday.
This was after President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. certified as urgent House Bill (HB) 10800 or the 2025 General Appropriation Bill (GAB) to ensure its immediate passage.
Marcos, in his letter, sent Tuesday to House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez and Senate President Francis Escudero, urged lawmakers to fast-track the passage of the 2025 GAB “to ensure the uninterrupted operation of critical government functions, guarantee allocation of fiscal resources for vital initiatives, and enable the government to adeptly respond to emerging challenges.”
In a Palace press briefing on Wednesday, Romualdez said the House of Representatives would act on Marcos’ request, expressing confidence that it would be approved following the certification of urgency.
“Mamayang gabi po, maipapasa po natin (Tonight, we will pass it) on third and final reading and ready for transmission in short order to the Senate,” Romualdez said.
Escudero, who also joined the press briefing, said the Senate would wait for the House version of the proposed 2025 budget.
He also assured the Executive branch of the senators’ commitment to fast-track the passage of the GAB to give Marcos time to review the spending plan for next year.
“Sa ngayon, on schedule ang mga pagdinig sa komite ng Senado at inaasahan namin na ito ay maaprubahan ng may sapat na panahon para ito ay mabasa at mareview ng Pangulo kaugnay ng mga line item veto na maari niyang gawin sa panukalang budget at maging ganap na batas ito bago matapos ang taon (Right now the Senate committee hearings are on schedule and we expect it to be approved with enough time for the President to read and review it, in relation to line item vetoes that he can make on the budget proposal and for it to become a law before the end of the year),” Escudero said.
The 2025 National Expenditure Program (NEP), which serves as Congress’ basis for the GAB, reflects the administration’s priorities, including food security, social protection, health care, housing, disaster resilience, infrastructure, digital connectivity, and energization.
Once approved by Congress, the NEP will be known as the GAB and will become the General Appropriations Act upon signing into law.
Duterte presence
Meantime, Romualdez urged Vice President Sara Duterte to cooperate and attend the budget deliberations at the House of Representatives.
“Well, we’d like to very much see the Vice President but she has elected to absent herself and she has sent us letters explaining why. But of course, we would most appreciate her presence,” he said. “We will take this matter up shortly and you will be informed of its resolution.”
Duterte on Monday skipped the House of Representatives plenary debate for the Office of the Vice President’s proposed 2025 budget.
The deliberation on the OVP budget was considered deferred to Wednesday, the last day of plenary debates.
Duterte earlier said she was leaving the deliberation of the OVP funding “entirely to the pleasure of the House of Representatives.”
Romualdez said Duterte’s absence would not deter the passage of the 2025 GAB. (PNA)
