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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Senators grumble as Senate, House ratify 2025 national budget

Senators grumble as Senate, House ratify 2025 national budget

Published Dec 11, 2024 02:35 pm

Some senators on Wednesday, December 11, expressed their sadness over some provisions in the final version of the General Appropriations Bill (GAB) which proposes a P6.352-trillion national budget for next year.

This, even as the Upper Chamber, led by Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero, approved and ratified the bicameral conference committee report for the 2025 national budget.

The House of Representatives also approved and adopted the final version of the GAB also on Wednesday night.

The ratified version of the 2025 General Appropriations Bill (GAB) will then be sent to Malacañang for President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr.'s signature.

For one, Sen. Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri lamented the decision made by the members of the bicam not to give a Department of Science and Technology (DOST) an increase in their budget.

DOST had proposed a P49.253 billion budget for next year, but only P28.772-billion was approved by the bicam.

Zubiri, who defended the budget of the DOST, said he felt sad and embarassed, having fought for a P700 to P800-million budget increase for them in the Senate, to provide them the ability to acquire monitoring equipment which they lack.

“We could have lobbied for an increase in their budget. I’m just disappointed as the chairman of the subcommittee handling the budget of the DOST,” said Zubiri.

“Nahiya ako sa DOST. Talaga nahiya ako (I felt ashamed for DOST. I was really ashamed),” the former Senate leader said.

Senate Minority Leader Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III and deputy minority leader Sen. Risa Hontiveros voted “no” to the 2025 national budget.

Both Pimentel and Hontiveros said they will submit their explanation on their votes in due time, but the latter already made emphasis on the defunding of the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) budget.

Hontiveros, Senators Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito, and Christopher “Bong” Go have also expressed their concern over the decision of the bicam not to provide the the subsidy for PhilHealth next year.

Go and Sen. Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa were not on the Senate floor when the 2025 national budget was ratified.

Earlier, Sen. Grace Poe, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Finance, in an interview after the bicam meeting held today, said PhilHealth will get zero subsidy in 2025 due to its P600-billion reserve funds

Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian also said he got disappointed after learning that the final version of the 2025 national budget did not adopt the Senate’s proposal for a P3-billion funding for free higher education and which was removed during the bicam.

The Senate’s proposed funding for the Department of Education (DepEd) and the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) were also reduced by P12 billion and P30 billion respectively.

Escudero acknowledged that while there is no "perfect law," Congress did its job to choose which among the items in the 2025 national budget ought to be prioritized.

"Everything is important...but we need to decide and choose which should be," he said.

RELATED STORY: https://mb.com.ph/2024/12/11/senators-split-on-phil-health-having-zero-subsidy

Related Tags

Sherwin Gatchalian bicameral conference committee report Grace Poe 2025 National Expenditure Program General Appropriations Bill juan miguel migz zubiri Risa Hontiveros 2025 national budget
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