MANILA, Philippines — The proposed P5.268 trillion national budget for 2023, the government’s highest ever spending proposal, is set to be received by the House of Representatives on Monday from the Executive department.
This was stated by the office of Speaker Martin Romualdez on Sunday, announcing that the National Expenditure Program (NEP) through Budget Sec. Amenah Pangandaman will be submitted to the lower chamber in a turnover ceremony at 10 a.m. at the social hall of the Speaker’s Office.
The proposed budget for next year is P244 billion more than this year’s P5.024 trillion budget.
Part of the submissions will be President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s budget message to lawmakers and the nation.
On hand to receive it will be Romualdez, Majority Leader Manuel Jose Dalipe, Minority Leader Marcelino Libanan, House Committee on Appropriations chairman, and Ako Bicol Party-list Rep. Zaldy Co with his senior vice chairperson, Marikina City Rep. Stella Luz Quimbo.
Romualdez explained that the budget and its accompanying documents are submitted to the House because the Constitution provides that “all appropriation, revenue or tariff bills, bills authorizing increase of the public debt, bills of local application, and private bills shall originate exclusively in the House of Representatives, but the Senate may propose or concur with amendments.”
But traditionally, the Palace has also been furnishing the Senate with copies of its budget submissions on the day that it presents them to the House.
It can be recalled that House leaders have previously vowed to finish committee and plenary deliberations on the budget proposal before October 1 — when Congress is scheduled to go on its first recess that will last until November 6.
The appropriations committee will begin hearings on the NEP on August 26 with a briefing by the Marcos administration’s economic managers on the macro-economic parameters used in putting the spending proposal together.
Meanwhile, Quimbo said the committee aims to finish its hearings by September 16 to give the House two weeks for plenary deliberations, and third and final reading approval before the October 1 recess.
“Rest assured that Congress shall work tirelessly to approve a budget that is responsive to the needs of the people and is able to bring inclusive and sustainable growth,” Quimbo said in the statement.
Under the 1987 Constitution, the President and his Executive branch should submit the National Expenditures Program within 30 days after the delivery of the State of the Nation Address (Sona), which means the deadline for the submission of the proposed budget is on August 23 as Marcos delivered his Sona on July 25.
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