Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, December 11) — The two chambers of Congress on Monday approved and ratified the Bicameral Conference Committee report on the proposed ₱5.768 trillion national budget for next year.
Hours earlier, the bicam committee reconciled differences in the 2024 budget versions of the Senate and the House of Representatives.
Senators first ratified the bicam committee report on the budget bill, followed by the House.
Senate Minority Leader Koko Pimentel was the lone vote against the ratification when the report was submitted for plenary approval at the Senate.
Before the approval, Pimentel raised concerns about the budgeting system, including the ₱12.5 billion increase for the House and the ₱450 billion hike for unprogrammed appropriations in the bicam.
At the House, Gabriela Party-list Rep. Arlene Brosas and ACT Teacher’s Party-list Rep. France Castro opposed the ratification.
In her manifestation after the chamber’s ratification, Brosas argued the proposed 2024 budget \”can’t even address\” food security and subsidy to rice farmers. She mentioned other issues including the increased amount of unprogrammed funds.
For her part, Castro said House members did not have the chance to scrutinize the details of the report.
The General Appropriations Bill 2024 will be sent to Malacañang for President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s signature.
Marcos is expected to sign the proposed 2024 spending plan before his trip to Japan on Dec. 16 to 18, Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno previously told reporters.
No secret funds in final Bicam version
The final version of the proposed 2024 budget from the bicam does not include confidential and intelligence funds (CIF) for civilian agencies, including the Department of Education and the Office of the Vice President, Senate finance committee chairman Sonny Angara earlier said.
According to the senator, the bicam version finalized the reallocation of the initially proposed confidential and intelligence funds to security agencies.
READ: Congress to reallocate intel, confidential funds to security agencies
Angara said the Philippine Coast Guard was given an additional ₱2 billion while a certain amount was also added to the Department of Information and Communications Technology to combat cybercrime.
The lawmaker said spending priorities include the needs of the defense sector.
\”‘Yan ang standing order ni Senate President (Juan Miguel) Zubiri. Tulungan natin ‘yung ating defense forces,\” Angara said.
\”I think in light of world events di ba may giyera sa Europa, may giyera sa Middle East hindi naman sa gusto nating magka-giyera dito pero gusto natin na handa tayo,\” he added.
[Translation: That is the standing order of Senate President Zubiri. Let’s help our defense forces. I think in light of world events, there’s a war in Europe, there is a war in the Middle East, it’s not that we want a war here, but we want to be ready.]
He added that the provision prohibiting the use of contingent funds for CIF was adopted by the House of Representatives.
\”It’s a budget for growth, to sustain our growth,\” he said.
Angara said the programs with the highest additional allocated funds in the bicam version of the 2024 budget are for the education infrastructure and health sectors.
The Senate approved the national budget with a 21-0 vote and a lone abstention end-November while House lawmakers approved their version in September.
