House Committee on Appropriations chairman, Ako Bicol Party-list Rep. Zaldy Co noted that his colleagues may still scrutinize the proposed budget of the Office of the President (OP) following its speedy termination during the panel deliberations Friday, Sept. 2.

Questions may be brought up at the plenary after all the other branches of government have gone through the committee level, said Co in a statement.

The plenary debates is the next stage of the budget process in the House of Representatives.

Currently, the appropriations panel is tackling the individual departments' fund allocations under the P5.268-trillion National Expenditure Program (NEP) for 2023. The NEP serves as the precursor of the General Appropriations Bill (GAB), which will emanate from the Co panel.

Once the plenary debates start, a member of the Committee on Appropriations will be tasked to defend the national budget on a per agency basis before the entire 311-strong chamber.

The P9.031-billion budget of the OP ended up not being questioned during the panel hearing Friday as a gesture of courtesy to the executive branch.

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Co said the OP budget will enable President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. to deliver on the demands of his office, especially as the world transitions from the pandemic and confronts the effects of climate change.

OP’s budget proposal for 2023 indicates how the President will “deliver his constitutional mandates as Head of State and of government...especially during these challenging times".

Leading Malacañang's contingent to the panel hearing was Executive Secretary Vic Rodriguez.

Co, as committee chairperson, thanked the OP for honoring the constitutional mandate to a co-equal branch of the government with the presence of its key officials during Friday's proceedings.

Meanwhile, Co said he expects Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Secretary Maria Antonia Yulo-Loyzaga—a known and respected climate change advocate—to implement climate change adaptation measures using a science-based approach on a national scale, as well as build resilient communities through a risk-sensitive and balanced development of resources.

“The committee commends the effort of the department to increase the forest cover of our country through the greening program and to the successful rehabilitation of one of the major tourist destinations of the country, Boracay, including Manila Bay,” the Bicolano said.

The budget deliberation on the DENR's budget for 2023 worth P23.04 billion was still ongoing as of this posting