The early signing of the 2023 General Appropriations Act (GAA) in Malacañang is a big deal, House Minority Leader and 4Ps Party-list Rep. Marcelino Libanan said.
"Isa pong karangalan ang maimbitahan sa mahalagang kaganapan na ito dahil ngayong araw ay pinirmahan na po ng ating Pangulong Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ang General Appropriations Act of 2023 na nagkakahalahagang PhP5.268 trillion (It's an honor to be invited to this important occasion as this day marks President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s signing of the General Appropriations Act of 2023 worth PhP5.268 trillion)," Libanan wrote in a Facebook post Friday, Dec. 16.
"Malaking bagay po na maagang naaprubahan ito upang matugunan ang ating pagbangon mula sa epekto ng pandemya. Nawa ay magsilbi itong ilaw ng pag-asa para sa sambayanang Pilipino tungo sa mas masaganang kinabukasan (The early signing of the budget is a big deal as it will help in our recovery from the pandemic. May this serve as a light of hope to the Filipino nation toward prosperous future), he added.
On Friday, House Speaker and Leyte 1st district Rep. Martin Romualdez said that the 2023 GAA was the only budget in recent memory to be signed in mid-December.
The P5.268-trillion national budget---the biggest in the country’s history--will take effect on Jan. 1.
"Maraming salamat po, Pangulong Bongbong Marcos sa pagpapatupad ng badyet na ito at sa atin pong mga kasamahan sa senado at kongreso sa pagsusuring maigi at agarang pagpasa ng badyet para sa 2023 (Thank you very much President Bongbong Marcos for this 2023 budget, and thank you to my colleagues in the Senate and House for scrutinizing it and passing it with dispatch)," Libanan further wrote.