Bicam approves consolidated version of proposed 2023 budget

MANILA, Philippines — The Bicameral Conference Committee has approved the committee report on the proposed P5.268 trillion national budget, which contains the reconciled versions from the House of Representatives and the Senate.

During the meeting on Monday at the Manila Golf and Country Club, Senator Sonny Angara and Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Elizaldy Co presented the committee report, just shortly after the bicameral committee convened.

This version of the budget would now be sent to the plenary of both chambers, where members would ratify the proposal.

Among the provisions agreed upon by both chambers regarding the 2023 General Appropriations Bill (GAB) was the restoration of the P150 million confidential and intelligence funds (CIF) under the Department of Education (DepEd), Angara and Co said in an ambush interview.

It was initially slashed down to just P30 million by the Senate.

Funding for the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC), which was slashed also due to its poor accomplishment rate of two percent, was also restored.

The committee was able to reconcile the Senate and House’s versions of the proposed budget less than two weeks after its first meeting.  The bicameral conference committee started deliberating on the GAB last November 25.

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