November 26, 2024 | 6:51pm
MANILA, Philippines — With 18 votes in favor, none against and one abstention, the Senate has approved the proposed 2025 national budget amounting to P6.352 trillion.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. had certified the 2025 budget as urgent, prompting the Senate to pass it on the second and third reading within one day.
Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel III expressed disapproval of the Senate’s decision, leading to his abstention vote.
“There must be an emergency right before our face, Mr. President, that’s why we need the presidential certification,” Pimentel said.
Pimentel explained that he voted to abstain to remain consistent with his prior stances.
Fellow opposition lawmaker Sen. Risa Hontiveros initially raised concerns about the 2025 budget, particularly a provision allowing the Department of Finance to recall idle funds from agencies and return them to the national coffers. This provision was introduced during the bicameral conference, not in the Senate deliberations.
However, she noted that her fellow senators agreed with her on the need for greater transparency in the bicameral process
“Karamihan din sa atin ang paulit-ulit na nagpahiwatig na ang pondo sa ilalim ng PhilHealth ay hindi dapat malipat kung saan-saan,” Hontiveros said.
(Most of us have expressed that the funds under Philhealth should not be transferred anywhere.)
Nonetheless, Hontiveros voted in the affirmative. She cited that the budgets for the Inter-Agency Council against Trafficking, and the National Coordination Center Against Online Sexual Abuse and Exploitation of Children and Child Abuse and Exploitation Materials were successfully increased.
“We also thank Chair [Grace] Poe for the retention of the special provision on the release Trust Receipts for Human Rights Violations Victims’ Memorial Commission, which would give life to its programs aimed at shedding light on historical injustices,” Hontiveros said.
Some of the amendments that the Senate made was increasing project funding for education, agriculture, weather forecasting, transportation and more.
The Senate also removed the P39.8 billion allocation for the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s Ayuda para sa Kapos ang Kita Program (AKAP) and merged it with the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) program.
The AICS has been a point of contention between the House of Representatives and the Senate. During the 2024 bicam, House leaders inserted the AKAP into the DSWD without the knowledge of a number of senators.
Budget was also increased for the Philippine National Police to build 54 police stations in different local government units.
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