Senate targets OK of ‘24 budget this month

BY RAYMOND AFRICA and WENDELL VIGILIA

LAWMAKERS will resume regular sessions today and buckle down to work after a five-week break, with senators targeting to complete plenary discussions and approval of the proposed P5.768 trillion General Appropriations Bill (GAB) for next year by the end of the month.

The House of Representatives transmitted its version of the 2024 national budget bill last Saturday when Congress convened for a special session to hear the message of Japan Prime Minister Fumio Kishida who was in the country from November 3 to 4 for an official visit.

The office of Sen. Juan Edgardo Angara, chairperson of the Committee on Finance, said the panel is set to sponsor the budget bill on Tuesday and is eyeing to start floor discussions by Wednesday.

The Senate Public Relations and Information Bureau said committee hearings are “traditionally” not allowed during the period of plenary debates for the proposed national budget unless there are very important measures to be tackled.

Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri has said that the upper chamber is aiming to approve the 2024 GAB by November 27 to give more time for the bicameral conference committee to iron out the differing provisions of the two versions of the budget measure.

The Senate and the House want the proposed 2024 national budget bill ready for President Marcos Jr.’s signature by the end of the year and before Congress goes on break for the holidays.

Speaker Martin Romualdez said the House will prioritize the ratification of the 2024 budget bill and the passage of 11 priority bills identified by the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC) and by President Marcos Jr. in his second State of the Nation Address (SONA) last July.

“The budget is the lifeblood of our nation’s progress and development. The House is fully dedicated to the task at hand, ensuring that the national budget is ratified and enacted on time to guarantee the continuity of essential services, support economic growth, and promote the well-being of our citizens,” he said.

The House has realigned P194.5 billion in the Malacañang-submitted spending bill to benefit the country’s security, inflation protection,