House to pass 2025 budget on September 25 — Romualdez

The House of Representatives is set to pass the proposed P6.532-trillion 2025 national budget by next week as it is set to start plenary debates on Monday, September 16, a top official said over the weekend.

According to House Speaker Martin Romualdez, the House has devoted eight days — starting at 10 a.m. and until the daily agenda is finished — for the plenary debates.

It is then scheduled to pass the proposed budget on third and final reading on September 25, 2024, the same day that the turno en contra or remarks against the spending proposal and period of amendments are scheduled.

The proposed spending program will “serve as our roadmap for expanding infrastructure and supporting education by funding the building of more road networks and classrooms, especially in underserved communities,” Romualdez said in a statement.

“It will be our tool for sustaining our country’s economic growth, which we hope to keep at six percent or higher in line with the forecasts of international lending institutions,” he added.

Monday’s deliberations will cover the Departments of Finance (DOF) and Justice (DOJ), and the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), including their attached agencies, the judiciary, and lump sums.

Tuesday will cover the Office of the Ombudsman, the Commission on Human Rights including Human Rights Violations’ Memorial Commission, and the Departments of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD), Interior and Local Government (DILG), Tourism (DOT), Labor and Employment (DOLE), and their attached agencies.

Wednesday’s deliberations will cover the budgets of the Commission on Elections, Departments of Agrarian Reform (DAR), Foreign Affairs (DFA), Trade and Industry (DTI), and several executive offices and state colleges and universities.

Thursday will cover the budgets of the Departments of National Defense (DND), Migrant Workers (DMW), Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), and their attached agencies, and budgetary support to a number of government corporations.

The week will end with the Presidential Communications Office, Department of Science and Technology, Metro Manila Development Authority and more executive offices and government corporations to  defend their funding.

The remaining departments and agencies, along with executive offices — including the departments of agriculture, health, energy, education, social welfare, transportation, the Civil Service Commission, and Commission on Audit will be discussed between September 23 and September 25.

Also to be discussed on September 23 will be the proposed budget for the Office of the Vice President, headed by Vice President Sara Duterte. The House appropriations panel has recommended a P1.29-billion cut in the proposed budget.

House Deputy Majority Leader Jude Acidre said the OVP’s 2025 budget will be “responsive to her office’s mandate.” —Jon Viktor Cabuenas/RF, GMA Integrated News