Congress ratifies P6.352 trillion national budget for 2025 

The 2025 General Appropriation Bill (GAB) containing the P6.352 trillion national budget for next year is only one signature away from becoming a law after the Senate and the House of Representatives ratified the measure on Wednesday. 

This came after the bicameral conference committee approved and adopted the report on the disagreeing provisions of GAB earlier in the day. 

The ratified measure will be sent to Malacanang for the president's signature.

Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero said that there’s no “perfect budget”, noting that Congress had to prioritize those who needed funding for next year. 

“Walang batas na perpekto. Hindi perpekto ang batas na ito na inaprubahan lamang natin…Subalit maging ganun pa man, ang trabaho ng Kongreso ay pumili sa pagitan ng mga bagay na pwedeng pondohan kung alin dito ang uunahin,” said Escudero. 

(There’s no perfect law. This law that we just approved is not perfect as well…Despite that, the job of Congress is to choose which among the items to be funded should be prioritized.) 

“Lahat mahalaga, lahat ay importante. Subalit kailangan natin magpasya at pumili kung alin,” he added. 

(Everything is important. But we need to decide and choose well.) 

While the Senate unanimously voted for the ratification of the measure, Senate Minority Leader Koko Pimentel and Senate Deputy Minority Leader Risa Hontiveros registered their negative votes.

“The vote of this representation is a ‘no’ vote and I will just submit the explanation of my ‘no’ vote in due time,” said Pimentel. 

“I would just like to manifest that I join the Minority Leader in the minority’s vote of ‘no’ to this bill. I will submit my explanation  of ‘no’ vote  in writing with emphasis on the effective defunding of PhilHealth in the bill,” said Hontiveros. 

Speaker Martin Romualdez said that both chambers worked hard on the crafting of the budget. 

“This partnership ensured that every peso is allocated to programs that matter most in putting food on every table, improving access to healthcare and education, creating jobs, higher take-home pay of our peace-keeping forces, relief aid to those in need, and building infrastructure that benefits communities nationwide,” he said. 

The proposed 2025 national budget is 9.5% higher compared to this year's P5.268 trillion.  

Under the approved budget, the Senate has retained the House-introduced budget cut on Office of the Vice President, from the initially proposed P2 billion to P733 million, amid Vice President Sara Duterte's refusal to answer lawmakers’ questions on her office's use of the budget, including confidential funds.

Further, the final version of the 2025 national budget has allotted P26 billion for Ayuda para sa Kapos and Kita Program —a cash aid program for minimum wage workers. —With Mariel Celine Serquina/LDF, GMA Integrated News