House to speed through budget deliberations, vows passage in 5 weeks

MANILA, Philippines — House Speaker Martin Romualdez has given the lower chamber a deadline of five weeks to pass the proposed P5.7 trillion national budget for 2024.

Budget deliberations at the committee level should also be done by the first week of September, according to the House leader.

"We will ensure that we can pass the 2024 general appropriations bill within just five weeks. Four weeks in committees, and one week in plenary,” Romualdez said in Filipino.

This means that the House is aiming to pass its version of the General Appropriations Bill — the government's national budget as legislated — before Congress adjourns sessions on September 30, after which, it will resume session on November 5.

This timeframe will give the Senate enough to scrutinize the proposed budget, Romualdez said.

“I am confident that the House of Representatives will be able to deliberate and pass the national budget on time and transmit the same to the Senate,” the House speaker said during his opening remarks on the first day of budget deliberations at the lower chamber.

The House appropriations committee led on Thursday the start of budget deliberations. Present at the hearing were representatives from the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), the National Economic and Development Authority, the Department of Finance and the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas.

In a press release sent to media, Romualdez said that lawmakers will scrutinize the agencies’ proposal while adhering to the principle of transparency and “respect for minority.” 

The DBM transmitted the 2024 National Expenditure Program to the House earlier than usual this year ahead of the incoming barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections on October 30.

The proposed budget for 2024 is 9.5% bigger than the budget for 2023. It is also the first budget to be fully prepared under the administration of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. 

According to the DBM, the budget priorities for 2024 follow the 8-Point Socioeconomic Agenda of the government as laid down in the Philippine Development Plan 2023-2028, its comprehensive socio-economic roadmap following the pandemic’s effects on the country.

In its budget hearings, lawmakers can only reallocate funds as the ceiling for the budget is set at P5.7 trillion.

“We need to closely examine the budget proposals of every department and agency, and analyze every program, and activity and project to ensure that the resources are allocated and optimized on the right priorities that address the economic and social challenges of our beloved country,” Romualdez said.
“With utmost diligence, we will ensure that every centavo of the proposed P5.768 trillion budget will be judiciously spent,” he added. — with reports by The STAR / Delon Porcalla