House to fast-track review, approval of 2023 budget
To meet PBBM’s economic agenda
HOUSE Committee on Appropriations senior vice chairperson and Marikina City Representative Stella Luz Quimbo gave reassurance that the 2023 national budget would be approved as scheduled by October 1, 2022.
Quimbo made the commitment during the “Ugnayan sa Batasan” Majority News Forum, with House Committee on Dangerous Drugs chairman and Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers, and House Committee on Agriculture and Food chairman and Quezon Rep. Wilfrido Mark Enverga.
Also according to Quimbo, appropriations committee chairman and Ako Bicol Party-list Rep. Zaldy Co stated that lawmakers are fully committed to their constitutional mandate to review the proposed budget and assess where amendments are needed to ensure that government spending supports President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s (PBBM) eight-point economic agenda.
“It is our goal to enact the 2023 GAA as scheduled to fund our economic recovery programs and projects, as well as to be vigilant in monitoring their implementation,” Quimbo said.
She also clarified that the indicated projected borrowings in the 2023 National Expenditure Program (NEP) of P2.2-trillion is within the usual range.
“Actually, it’s only 11 percent of the P5.268-trillion that will go to debt service payments. Ang principal payments po ay hindi nangangailangan ng appropriations,” Quimbo clarified.
Enverga, also welcomed the 39% increase in the proposed budget for the agriculture sector.
“In general, masayang-masaya po tayo. Tumototoo po ang ating Pangulo, si Bongbong Marcos, kung saan number one po sa agenda niya is food security which I definitely am sure would be very much inclusive,” Enverga said.
Also during the forum, Barbers explained that he re-filed House Bill (HB) No. 1543, reimposing the death penalty as a capital punishment because he believes that it could be a strong deterrent to the commission of heinous crimes.
