House to pass proposed 2025 budget Wednesday night – Romualdez

The House of Representatives opens its third and final regular session on Monday, July 22, 2024. (Gabriel Pabico Lalu/INQUIRER.net)

MANILA, Philippines — The House of Representatives will pass the 2025 General Appropriations Bill on the third and final reading on Wednesday night, according to Speaker Martin Romualdez.

He announced it during a Palace briefing after a Legislative Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC) meeting with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. at the Malacañan Palace.

READ: Marcos certifies 2025 budget bill as urgent

“Mamayang gabi po maipapasa po natin ‘yan on third and final reading and ready for transmission in short order to the Senate,” Romualdez said.

(Tonight, we will pass that on the third and final reading and make it ready for transmission in short order to the Senate.)

“Ito ang pinaka importanteng batas na hinaharap natin sa Kongreso. Ito ay matatapos natin ngayong gabi dahil sa pagka-certify ng Malacañang as urgent itong batas na ito,” he added.

(This is the most important legislation we face in Congress. We will finish it tonight because Malacañang certified it as urgent.)

Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero committed that the Senate will pass its version of the proposed national budget before the year ends.

“Sa ngayon on schedule at inaasahan namin na ito ay maaaprubahan na may sapat ng panahon na mabasa ng Pangulo. Upang maging ganap na batas ito bago matapos ang taon,” he said.

(Right now it is on schedule and we expect it to be approved with enough time for the President to study it…in order for it to become a law before the end of the year.)