Press Release - Opening Statement of Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada on GCG and CHR budget hearing

First of all, I would like to thank you for zealously working with this Representation last year for the passage of the Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 budget of GCG and CHR. As then a neophyte Chairperson of a Subcommittee of the Committee on Finance, I learned a lot from our collaboration and I am hopeful that our efforts contributed meaningfully to the operations of your agencies and to the achievement of your goals and targets.

We are here once again to work together to defend your agency's proposed budget and make it responsive to the needs of your organization and your constituents. This is very important because undoubtedly, both the GCG and CHR have significant pursuits to achieve our nation's aspiration for genuine progress.

GCG performs the critical task of ensuring that our GOCCs are operating in their optimal level with conscientious effectivity, efficiency and accountability towards national development. In effect, it acts as the responsible watchdog over the abuses and excessiveness of the GOCCs. Meanwhile, CHR is mandated by the Constitution to be the bastion of the protection of human, civil, and political rights and ensure that these rights upheld at all times, especially in the interest of the vulnerable and marginalized members of our communities.

Buo po ang tiwala ko sa mga namumuno sa inyong organisasyon at tiyak ko na sa ilalim ng kanilang pamamahala ay wasto at makabuluhan ang paggugol ng inyong budget.

For an orderly discussion, we will discuss first the proposed budget of the GCG and then we will proceed to the proposed budget of the CHR and MemCom.