Plenary debates para sa panukalang National Budget sa 2024, aarangkada na simula Setyembre 19

Transcript

00:00 Plenary debates for the General Appropriations Bill will be held on September 19,

00:05 while some congressmen are trying to find a way to raise the budget for the next year.

00:12 This is what Mela Lesmora has to say.

00:15 The plenary debate will be held in the House of Commons starting next week

00:21 on the 5.768 trillion pesos General Appropriations Bill.

00:26 Earlier, the Execom meeting held the House Committee on Appropriations

00:30 to finalize the schedule,

00:32 while passing the committee report for the budget proposal.

00:36 We approved the bill at the committee level,

00:41 so that's the committee report,

00:43 and we also approved the schedule of the plenary debates.

00:47 So we are beginning September 19,

00:50 and hopefully approving the bill on third reading September 27.

00:54 According to the Appropriations Panel, only two provisions were changed in the plenary debate,

00:59 and even though the budget briefings on confidential funds were heated,

01:04 nothing was changed.

01:06 There are two changes on the NEP.

01:10 So one is on the validity of the budget.

01:15 So we changed it from one and a half years for MOOE to two years.

01:20 And then the other is on the--

01:24 we put in a provision, a special provision,

01:28 on the chapter for Congress to ensure the independence of Congress.

01:36 In the next few days, the Congressmen are expected to discuss the proposed budget.

01:43 They believe that the priority remains on how the Filipinos think about the future of the country,

01:49 even though House Assistant Minority Leader Arlene Brosas

01:53 did not pay attention to the programs for women and children in the Panongkalang Pondo.

02:00 The programs for women and children are lodged in different agencies.

02:07 And I think, because I attended almost all of the budget hearings,

02:15 or participated, I think they asked questions to these agencies.

02:22 For example, to DOH, to DSWD, to DepEd.

02:27 So there's a number of agencies that have programs for children and women.

02:34 I think there's a substantial number.

02:39 In addition to the plenary debates, there are also changes and that's what we should look forward to.

02:45 We trust the lawmakers to pass on time the Panongkalang Pondo for the next year

02:52 so we won't have a reenacted budget.

02:56 Melalas Moras for the country.