House Speaker Martin Romualdez (Facebook)

House Speaker Martin Romualdez reiterated on Thursday, Aug. 10 his promise of an expeditious passage of the 2024 national budget. 

This, after the House of Representatives--through the Committee on Appropriations--began its scrutiny of the 2024 National Expenditure Program (NEP) worth P5.768 trillion. 

"Having received the budget proposal 20 days earlier than the constitutional deadline, I am confident that the House of Representatives will be able to deliberate and pass the national budget on time and transmit the same to the Senate," Romualdez said in his speech 

"I can assure everyone that the house of representatives will not take a break until and unless we have passed this very important legislation," added the leader of the 312-strong chamber. 

As of this posting, the Development and Budget Coordination Committee (DBCC) was briefing the House members on the macroeconomic assumptions of the P5.768-trillion NEP. The NEP is the precursor of the General Appropriations Bill (GAB), which the appropriations panel will eventually file. 

"Sisiguruhin natin na maipapasa natin ang 2024 [GAB] sa loob ng limang linggo lamang. Apat na linggo sa mga komite, at isang linggo sa plenaryo (We will ensure the passage of the 2024 GAB within just five weeks. Four weeks in the committees, and one week in plenary)," Romualdez said. 

"Thus, I call upon the members of this august body to actively participate in the budget deliberation, listen and respect everyone’s view, particularly the concerns of our colleagues from the minority, and reach a consensus that is beneficial to the country, especially the poor and marginalized among our people," added the Leyte 1st district congressman. 

He further vowed that "every peso of the national budget would be spent wisely".

For her part, Marikina City 2nd district Rep. Stella Luz Quimbo underscored the importance of the DBCC briefing in helping the lawmakers craft next year's budget. 

"Our legislative perspective for the Philippines in 2024 is intricately linked to the macroeconomic assumptions we make. Our responsibility as lawmakers and policymakers is to foster an environment that supports economic growth, job creation, and sustainable development," she said. 

"By carefully evaluating GDP (gross domestic product) growth, trade dynamics, inflation, and monetary policy, we can craft a budget that not only responds to the current economic realities but also position our nation and our people for a prosperous and resilient future," Quimbo said.