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PRESS RELEASES

SOURCE: Press and Public Affairs Bureau


SPEAKER ROMUALDEZ WELCOMES SUBMISSION OF PROPOSED P5.268T NATIONAL BUDGET
22 August 2022 01:35:28 PM


House leaders led by Speaker Martin G. Romualdez on Monday received
from the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) the proposed
P5.268-trillion national budget, a measure that is envisioned to pave
the way for economic recovery during the first year of President
Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.

Romualdez described the proposed appropriations measure, spelled out
in the National Expenditure Program (NEP) submitted by the DBM, as an
exceptional fiscal program carefully formulated to provide a
continuing booster shot to revitalize an economy still feeling the ill
effects of the pandemic.

“We welcome the submission of the proposed 2023 national budget that
will provide the broad strokes needed to speed up our economic
recovery,” Romualdez said.

“The House of the People will effectively respond to the needs of the
people, and we will do our best to address the continued impact of the
health crisis, create more jobs and ensure food security,” Romualdez
said.

“We will make sure that every centavo will be spent wisely to
implement programs that would save lives, protect communities and make
our economy strong and more agile. in partnership with the Senate and
Malacañang, the House leadership will continue the Build, Build, Build
program and create more jobs,” he declared.

Romualdez, along with House leaders Majority Leader Manuel Jose
"Mannix" Dalipe, Minority Leader Marcelino Libanan, House Committee on
Appropriations chairman Rep. Zaldy Co and his senior vice chairperson,
Rep. Stella Luz A. Quimbo, received the budget document from the DBM.

The proposed P5.268-trillion proposed national budget, the highest
ever if approved by Congress, is P244 billion more than this year’s
spending program.

“And as the highest ever spending proposal ever to reach the halls of
Congress, we will make sure that each bit of spending will contribute
to our goal of reigniting the fires of our economic forges and at
least propel the country to reach economic growth at pre-pandemic
levels,” Romualdez expressed.

“As such, the House leadership is eyeing to finish committee and
plenary deliberations on the budget proposal before October 1, or
before the 19th Congress goes on its first recess that will last up to
Nov. 6. We will perform our constitutional mandate to scrutinize next
year's national budget,” he said.

Romualdez bared that the Committee on Appropriations will “hit the
ground running” and start budget deliberations at the committee level
on Aug. 26. The Speaker is optimistic that the House of
Representatives will be able to scrutinize, deliberate and pass a
general appropriations bill before the appointed deadline.

“The passage of the 2023 national budget will be transparent. This
will be a product of the entire House of Representatives where the
majority will listen to the concerns of our friends from the minority
bloc. In a manner of speaking, this will be a ‘Unity National Budget’
because we plan to get the widest consensus on our spending plan,” the
Speaker said.(END)