MANILA, Philippines — A stronger consensus has emerged in the House of Representatives after the chamber was able to pass several bills including the crucial proposed 2023 national budget, Majority Floor Leader and Zamboanga City 2nd District Rep. Manuel Jose Dalipe said on Monday.
Dalipe, in a statement, said that the unanimity under the leadership of House Speaker and Leyte 1st District Rep. Ferdinand Martin Romualdez seemed stronger than in the past Congresses, as the House was able to pass the budget within the target time.
The P5.268 trillion national budget for 2023 was approved on the third and final reading last Wednesday, or before Congress adjourned its session for a recess. Three members of the Makabayan bloc, which Dalipe pointed out has historically opposed the creation of previous budgets, were the only ones to vote against the bill..
“The 2023 GAB (General Appropriations Bill) incidentally, the largest in the country’s history — was approved by the House on third and final reading via nominal vote result of 289-3-0 (yes-no-abstain) on September 28 during the final session day before the month-long recess,” he said.
“In the previous 17th and 18th Congresses, the negative votes of members range from five to nine,” he added.
Dalipe claimed that the small number of lawmakers opposed to the GAB shows a “stronger agreement” as even key Minority members like Minority Leader and 4Ps Party-list Rep. Marcelino Libanan himself and known fiscalizer Albay 1st District Rep. Edcel Lagman voted in favor of the budget.
Lagman and another Minority lawmaker in Camarines Sur 3rd District Rep. Gabriel Bordado Jr. gave affirmative votes but also voiced their reservations about the budget, particularly about confidential funds and the restoration of allocations to educational institutions.
READ: Minority calls out huge confidential funds in 2023 budget
During his speech before the House session went into recess, Romualdez hailed the achievements of the chamber, noting that it did its best to pass bills that would help the country recover from the COVID-19 pandemic and the economic crisis.
Romualdez said a total of 5,696 bills were filed, while the House approved 21 resolutions and 37 bills on the third reading. These include two key bills — on SIM card registration and on the suspension of the 2022 barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections.
“For two months since the start of the Nineteenth Congress, we rolled up our sleeves and worked for hand in hand to ensure the collective and responsive action upon all pending bills and resolutions, including priority bills included in the legislative agenda of our president, Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr.,” he said.
“Our mission from day one is clear: help resuscitate the pandemic-battered economy and make economic transformation the main engine to uplift the lives of the Filipino people,” he added.
READ: House crafted bills to help PH recover – Romualdez before break