The Senate is ready to receive the copy of the version of the proposed P6.352-trillion national budget for 2025 which the House of Representatives has approved.
Senator Grace Poe, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Finance, made this assurance on Thursday, Sept. 26, after the House overwhelmingly approved the 2025 General Appropriations Bill (GAB) on Wednesday night, September 25.
Based on the schedule agreed with the House, Poe said the budget bill would be transmitted to the Senate on Oct. 25. Until then, the Senate will continue its hearings on the budget until October 18.
“Only after that and the transmittal of the GAB can we start drafting the committee report in the Senate,” Poe said.
Poe said the Upper Chamber is actually “ahead of schedule” with its own hearings on the 2025 budget. She said she is ready to sponsor the budget when Congress resumes session on Nov. 4 or after their break which starts on Thursday, Sept. 26.
“Assuming all the vice chairs will submit their committee reports on time, I will be ready to sponsor by then,” Poe said.
The House approved the 2025 national budget past 8:30 p.m. following nominal voting on Wednesday night. A total of 285 House members voted “yes,” while only three voted “no” on the measure. There were no abstentions.
President Marcos had certified the 2025 GAB as urgent, allowing for the back-to-back passage of the bill on second and third reading on Wednesday.
In an earlier interview, Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero assured that the Senate and House would be able to pass the 2025 GAB on time.
The proposed 2025 national budget is 9.5 percent higher compared to this year's P5.268-trillion allocation.
RELATED STORY: https://mb.com.ph/2024/9/25/house-approves-p6-352-t-2025-national-budget-on-3rd-reading