THE House of Representatives, voting 285-3 without abstention, overwhelmingly approved on third and final reading on Wednesday night House Bill 10800, or the General Appropriations Bill (GAB) that proposes P6.352-trillion national budget for next year.
The GAB was approved after a record eight session days, during which House members carefully scrutinized the budgets of all government departments and their attached agencies and/or corporations, to ensure that every centavo allocated will be judiciously spent on urgent priorities and socially impactful programs of the government.
Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez expressed pride and elation over the approval of the GAB before the adjournment of session.
“I am proud to emphasize the impressive performance of the House of Representatives to safeguard our nation’s interests. You have consistently displayed enthusiasm, fairness, and thorough scrutiny of the budget which led to the prompt approval of the 2025 General Appropriations Bill on third and final reading,” he said in his adjournment speech.
“Nagawa natin ang trabaho para busisiin ang 2025 national budget. Natapos natin ito sa takdang oras. kahit abutin ng umaga, Hindi tayo tumigil para masiguro na nagawa natin ang ating tungkulin,” he added.
With the eventual approval of the nation’s 2025 budget not far behind, the Speaker said the national government is more than ready to finance and implement its future initiatives and flagship projects.
“We remain true to our objective to pursue an agenda for prosperity, and enable every Filipino to directly experience and equitably share in the gains brought by our collective and solid efforts,” he said.
During the turno en contra prior to HB 10800’s final reading and approval, Minority Leader Rep. Marcelino Libanan cited the efforts of the executive branch in pursuing development.
“The administration has reported notable progress in the country’s economic growth, poverty reduction and fiscal management, allocation of funds and the missed opportunities for transformative infrastructure development that could define the future of our nation,” he said.
He also commended his fellow lawmakers for their cooperation that enabled the House to finish budget deliberations from the committee level to the plenary in record time.
“May I laud the members of the minority for their exhaustive interpellation of the agencies, and also for the patience of the majority in defending the budget proposal,” he said.
The House created a small committee, composed of Committee on Appropriations Chairperson Elizaldy Co and Senior Vice Chairperson Stella Luz Quimbo (for the majority); Majority Leader Manuel Jose “Mannix” Dalipe (for the Committee on Rules); and Minority Leader Marcelino Libanan (for the minority), to receive and resolve all individual amendments to HB 10800.
Rep. Janet Garin requested the House members to submit their individual amendments to the small committee not later than Friday, Sept. 27
She informed the House that President Marcos, in his letter dated Sept. 24, 2024, has certified to the necessity of the immediate enactment of HB 10800 to ensure the uninterrupted operation of critical government functions, guarantee the allocation of fiscal resources for vital initiatives and enable the government to adeptly able respond to emerging challenges.
