President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. (Noel Pabalate/ MANILA BULLETIN)

President Marcos deserves kudos for submitting the P6.352-trillion National Expenditure Program (NEP) or proposed national budget for 2025 three weeks ahead of schedule.

Thus, said Senior Deputy Speaker Pampanga 3rd district Rep. Aurelio “Dong” Gonzales Jr., who witnessed firsthand the submission of the NEP to the House of Representatives Monday, July 22 by Department of Budget and Management (DBM) Secretary Amenah Pangandaman.

“President BBM is presenting his proposal three weeks ahead of his one-month constitutional deadline to do so. This will give the House of Representatives enough time for budget deliberations,” he said.

He said under the Constitution, the Chief Executive has 30 days from the opening of every regular session of Congress to submit his proposed spending program. The third and final regular session of the 19th Congress began on July 22, the day of President Marcos' third State of the Nation Address (SONA)).

“As far as I know, during my long years in Congress, PBBM is the only President who submits his budget proposal way ahead of his deadline. That speaks volumes about his fidelity to his constitutional duties and his respect for Congress,” stressed Gonzales.

The House Committee on Appropriations is expected to begin deliberations on the 2025 NEP next month.

Test for NGPA

At the same time, the House official said the implementation of the 2025 national budget would be a test for the enforcement of the newly enacted New Government Procurement Act (NGPA).

He says President Marcos Jr.’s budget proposal is the first full-year spending measure to be covered by the new procurement law.

“We can potentially save billions of pesos and precious time and energy by following the transparent, efficient and accountable procurement processes under our new law,” said the Pampanga lawmaker.

Speaker Martin Romualdez and Gonzales are the principal authors of the law, denominated as Republic Act (RA) No. 12009.

“This legislation ushers in a new era of transparency, integrity, and accountability in our government's procurement processes. It reflects our unwavering commitment to the Filipino people to ensure that every peso is spent wisely and responsibly,” Romualdez said.

He said it is “a landmark achievement in our commitment to uphold good governance and transparency in government transactions".

In signing the law, the President said it would make public bidding in the country “at par with global best practices.”

Marcos said that under the law, government procurement “will be modern and innovative, more streamlined and efficient".RA No.12009 introduces new modalities to achieve value for money, procurement efficiency, and quality public services.

It modernizes procurement processes with the use of emerging technologies and innovative solutions, as well as integrated systems among relevant government agencies. It also institutionalizes sustainable public procurement principles and practices with environmental, social, and economic considerations, life cycle, gender parity, poverty alleviation, and fair opportunities to vulnerable and marginalized sectors.

The new statute likewise enhances transparency and accountability with open, participatory bidding processes.