BARRING last-minute hitches, the House of Representatives will approve on third and final reading the proposed P6.352-trillion 2025 national budget within the next two weeks or by Sept. 25.
That’s according to Marikina City Rep. Stella Quimbo, senior vice chairperson of the House Committee on Appropriations chaired by Ako Bicol Party-list Rep. Zaldy Co.
Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez earlier committed that the House would finally approve the budget before the third and last regular session of Congress goes on its first recess on Sept. 27.
He said the proposed outlay would support the Agenda for Prosperity and Bagong Pilipinas programs of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos Jr.
Quimbo told reporters on Thursday that plenary debates on the proposed budget will start on Monday, with the discussions focusing on general principles used in putting together the 2025 spending program.
She said the House would hold marathon sessions starting at 10 in the morning.
“Confident tayo na matatapos sa September 25 and yes marathon. Araw-araw mag-uumpisa na tayo [ng 10 AM] tuloy-tuloy ‘yan hanggat hindi natin matapos ang naka-schedule na agencies for that day,” Quimbo said.
“Ang ma-expect natin would be debates but this time hindi magsasalita mismo ang mga ahensya. So ang pwede lang talaga magsalita would be the congressman and congresswomen (sponsoring the agency budget). So, debate po siya between members of the House,” she said.
She added that agency officials could help the lawmaker defending their funding by giving them needed information.
Quimbo was interviewed after she revealed the decision of the committee on appropriations to reduce the proposed 2025 budget of the Office of the Vice President (OVP) by P1.3 billion, from P2.03 billion to P733 million.
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