The significance of the 2023 national budget's enactment isn't lost on Bagong Henerasyon (BH) Party-list Rep. Bernadette Herrera, even if she's a member of the House minority bloc.
In a statement, the deputy minority leader said she expects the newly-signed P5.268-trillion General Appropriations Act (GAA) to accelerate the country’s economic recovery.
“This first full-year budget of the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is a strong way forward for the country as we begin a journey of recovery from global economic effects caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, and more recently, the Russia-Ukraine crisis,” Herrera said.
The veteran solon said it was encouraging to see that the Marcos administration has a “strong focus on mitigating some of the effects of inflationary impact while ensuring that vital infrastructure projects and socioeconomic programs are funded and on track".
Herrera also lauded and thanked the members of the Bicameral Conference Committee led by Senator Sonny Angara and Ako Bicol Party-list Rep. Zaldy Co for successfully fulfilling their important task of reconciling the differences in the budget versions of the Senate and the House of Representatives.
“The Bicameral Conference Committee did a good job in harmonizing the conflicting provisions in the Senate and House versions in an expeditious and thorough manner, thus ruling out a reenacted budget that could derail our economic recovery,” Herrera noted.
The bicam panel only needed two meetings to iron out the differences between the House and Senate budget bills. The measure was then ratified separately by the two chambers.
The P5.268-trillion budget--the biggest in the country’s history--was signed by Marcos on Friday afternoon.