House Speaker Martin Romualdez asserted on Thursday, Aug. 25, that the proposed 2023 national budget would respond to the needs of Filipinos, especially in this time of the Covid-19 pandemic.

He said in a statement that the House, in approving next year’s budget, would “effectively respond to the needs of the people, especially in addressing the continued impact of the health crisis, and in creating more jobs and ensuring food security.”

“The budget will be (a) product of the entire House of Representatives, where the majority will listen to the minority’s concerns and of course, we, as the representatives of the people, will also be attuned to their needs,” the speaker added.

This budget, Romualdez noted, represents the “hope of the future and the agenda for prosperity” in the country.

Romualdez gave this assurance on the eve of the start of deliberations of the record P5.268-trillion budget, first under the term of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.

The education sector will get the highest budget of P852.8 billion, while the allocation for the agriculture sector rose by 39.2 percent compared to last year with a P184.1-billion proposed budget.

Next year’s total outlay is P244 billion or 4.9 percent higher than this year’s P5.024 trillion.

READ: House receives 2023 national budget proposal; here are the top 5 priority sectors

The budget deliberations will start with a briefing on the state of the economy and the macro-economic parameters by members of the Development Budget Coordination Committee (DBCC) to the House leaders and members of the appropriations committee.

Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman, Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno, Secretary Arsenio Balisacan of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), and Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Gov. Felipe Medalla, who comprise the President's economic management team, will conduct the briefing.

In the same statement, Romualdez likewise assured the budget process would be transparent.

“Every centavo of the national budget will be spent wisely to implement programs that would save lives, protect communities and make our economy strong and more agile,” he said.

The speaker reiterated the House would approve the proposed budget on or before Sept. 30.

READ: House to finish budget process before Oct. 1

Congress is scheduled to go on its first recess on Oct. 1 that will last until Nov. 6 of this year.

According to Marikina City Rep. Stella Quimbo, senior vice chairperson of the House Committee on Appropriations, the panel chaired by Ako Bicol Party-list Rep. Zaldy Co has set a self-imposed target of finishing its hearings by Sept. 16.

She said the House has two weeks for plenary discussions and approval of the proposed 2023 budget.

Based on budget documents, the spending proposal targets to implement an eight-point agenda that includes food security, improved transportation, affordable and clean energy, social services, health care, face-to-face education, bureaucratic efficiency, and sound fiscal management.