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Senate approves bicam report on 2024 budget

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Willard Cheng, ABS-CBN News

MANILA — The Senate has ratified the Bicameral Conference Committee Report on the 2024 national budget, paving the way for President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to sign it into law.Bicameral conferences are meant to reconcile differences in versions of bills passed by the Senate and by the House of Representatives.The House will also need to to ratify the bicam report before it can be sent to Malacañang.Sen. Sonny Angara, Senate Committee on Finance chair, said the bicameral panel approved increases to the budgets of the defense and justice departments as well as of agencies tasked with maintaining peace and order like the Armed Forces of the Philippines, Philippine National Police and Philippine Coast Guard.The National Intelligence Coordination Agency and National Security Council also got budget increases.A P6-billion increase for the Marawi Compensation Board and Marawi Compensation Fund under unprogrammed appropriations was also kept, he said.The conference committee also realigned funds for programs to support the Mindanao peace process.The national budget bill that will be sent to Malacañang will also ensure self-reliance in agriculture, Angara said, &quot;not only to raise the incomes of our farmers and fisherfolk, but also to ensure our food security.&quot; <div>SOCIAL SAFETY NETS STAY</div>Angara said funds for different forms of subsidies for the poor will continue such as the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) , Sustainable Livelihood Program o (SLP) Cash-for-Work under the KALAHI-CIDSS, Supplementary Feeding Program, Social Pension for Indigent Senior Citizens and aid for Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers Program.&quot;Mananatili din ang pondo para sa fuel subsidies ng [Department of Transportation] at ng [Department of Agriculture],&quot; Angara said, adding funding for housing and for major infrastructure programs has been retained.&quot;We have also retained appropriations for the construction, rehabilitation, and improvement of facilities for Persons with Disabilities (PWDs), and the elderly, including gender-responsive restrooms. We also kept provisions to ensure that active transport infrastructure like bike lanes, pedestrian walkways, and other commuter safety features are included in their major projects. We make good on the vision that under the current administration, the Philippines will indeed &#x27;build better more&#x27;,&quot; Angara said.He also said that the bicameral conference retained the special provision from Sen. Francis &quot;Chiz&quot; Escudero mandating the Bureau of Immigration to compensate passengers who have been offloaded or prevented from leaving the country without a valid court order. The compensation will come from fees collected by the bureau.The bicameral conference, Angara added, also accepted a special provision under the Office for Transportation Security (DOTr-OTS), introduced by Sen. Grace Poe, on additional funding for the purchase of body cameras to be worn by security screening officers, &quot;as a safeguard against pilferage or illegal activities.&quot;<div>CONFIDENTIAL FUND ALLOCATIONS UNTOUCHED</div>Responding to a question from Senate Minority Leader Koko Pimentel, Angara said the bicameral conference kept the same amount and recipients of the confidential and intelligence funds.&quot;It&#x27;s the same as in the General Appropriations Bill, which we got from the House...which is P9.5 billion. We did not touch, your honor,&quot; Angara said.Pimentel also raised questions about the increase in the unprogrammed appropriations by P450 billion from the P281.9 billion originally sought in the National Expenditure Program.&quot;The reason is to carve out fiscal space in the programmed appropriations for other items that are proposed by our colleagues both here and the House, your honor,&quot; Angara said.Pimentel also asked why, like what happened last year, the budget of the House of Representatives increased by P12.5 billion because the budgets for some congressional offices had not been included in the original proposal.&quot;Perhaps they could take it up or we could mention it to the DBM because it’s between the Congress and the DBM kasi meron daw budget ng 29 congressman na hindi naisama daw doon sa budget ng House,&quot; Angara said.Sen. Poe meanwhile chided the DOTr for not allocating enough funds to assist drivers and operators with the PUV modernization program and the looming deadline for them to apply for consoldiated franchises by the end of the year.&quot;Ang lakas ng loob ng DOTr mag-deadline, wala namang maitulong. Ang P210,000 na subsidy ay 8.4 percent lang sa P2.5 million na presyo kada modern unit,&quot; she said.

The Senate approved the Bicameral Conference Committee Report on the 2024 national budget.

Senate approves bicam report on 2024 budget

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Senate approves bicam report on 2024 budget

Willard Cheng,

ABS-CBN News

Published Dec 11, 2023 06:14 PM PHT

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Senate

Bicameral Conference Committee Report

2024 national budget

2024 budget

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