Leaders of the House of Representatives Committee on Appropriations on Monday formally endorsed the proposed P6.352-trillion national budget for 2025 to the plenary, kicking off crucial debates on the government’s fiscal priorities for the coming year.
Appropriations Committee Chair and Ako Bicol Rep. Zaldy Co, along with Senior Vice Chair Marikina City Rep. Stella Luz Quimbo, rallied their colleagues to prioritize the swift passage of House Bill 10800 or the General Appropriations Bill (GAB) following six weeks of budget hearings.
“As representatives of the people, it is our duty to ensure that government resources are properly, fairly, and efficiently allocated. We fulfill our sworn duty to serve the people,” Co said in Filipino in his sponsorship speech.
“No money can be spent from the public treasury illegally, so the passage of the (GAB) is important,” he added.
Key areas in the budget include human and social development, job creation, and improving the country’s infrastructure and governance. The 2025 GAB also supports President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s “legacy projects,” which focus on specialty hospitals, food security, and housing for the poor.
Education, the top priority, is allocated P977.6 billion to ensure accessible, quality education for all Filipinos. Public works and highways will receive P900 billion, while the health sector will receive P297.6 billion to improve healthcare services nationwide. Human and social development programs will receive P2.120 trillion, representing 33.38% of the budget.
Quimbo likewise emphasized the national budget is a comprehensive plan to address the challenges faced by Filipino families every day: “This budget is not just numbers—it is a plan to ensure that every peso is used properly and felt by every Filipino, especially those who need it most. Together we will advance the budget that will bring hope and progress.”
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