Jauhn Etienne Villaruel

Members of an inter-agency coordinating committee conduct a walk through on July 15, 2024, as the House of Representatives prepares for the coming State Of the Nation Address of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on July 22. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News

Article (news)

CONGRESS

Vivienne Gulla

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:950px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/173442477524920240715-congress-sona-preps-JC-7216.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Members of an inter-agency coordinating committee conduct a walk through on July 15, 2024, as the House of Representatives prepares for the coming State Of the Nation Address of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on July 22. <em>Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News</em></span></span></span></div><div> </div><p>MANILA — There is no need for the bicameral conference committee to reconvene, as far as some lawmakers are concerned, saying the bicam version of the proposed 2025 budget has already been ratified.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2024/12/15/wrap-cuts-to-deped-philhealth-as-2025-budget-bill-nears-finish-line-2124">Cuts to DepEd, PhilHealth as 2025 budget bill nears finish line</a></div><p>Some lawmakers issued the statement following criticisms on the bicam-proposed cuts to Department of Education’s (DepEd) 2025 budget and the proposed removal of government subsidy on PhilHealth for next year.</p><p>President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. vowed on Monday to restore P10 billion from the total P12 billion slashed by the bicameral conference committee from the DepEd&#x27;s proposed 2025 budget. But he said that instead of using his veto powers, he would have a discussion with leaders of both Houses of Congress.</p><p>“I don&#x27;t think there&#x27;s any need for us to reconvene as a bicam. Because we&#x27;ve already ratified it in both chambers, so in both the Senate and the House. So we&#x27;re very satisfied with the versions,&quot; House Deputy Speaker and Quezon Second District Rep. David Suarez said. </p><p>&quot;Agencies always want to have more, but unfortunately… limited ‘yung resources natin. So the balancing act for Congress and the Senate becomes very tricky,” said Suarez, a member of the bicameral conference committee.  </p><p>House Committee on Appropriations Vice Chairperson and AKO BICOL party-list Rep. Raul Angelo Bongalon said House has yet to call for a meeting regarding the possible reconvening of the bicameral conference committee.</p><p>“As far as I know wala, sapagkat the bicameral conference committee report was already ratified by both chambers. Now the ball is within the hands of the executive department through our president,” Bongalon, another bicam member, said.</p><p>“The outcome of the budget that was ratified by Senate as well as the House is now undergoing a thorough review of the Office of the President. We have to remember that the President can or may exercise his veto powers. ‘Yung magiging aksyon namin depende sa magiging decision po ng ating Pangulo,” he added.</p><p>Are lawmakers amenable to sourcing the budget for DepEd augmentation from Congress?</p><p>“We will have to study that,” House Assistant Majority Leader and TINGOG party-list Rep. Jude Acidre said.</p><p>Under the bicam version of the proposed 2025 budget, Congress received an additional allocation of P17 billion. Acidre denied this was sourced from the removed subsidy for PhilHealth or from the slashed funding from DepEd.</p><p>“Ang kinuha po sa subsidy, like previously explained, was used for the completion of the construction ng Philippine Cancer Center, ‘yung pagtapos po ng mega hemodialysis center sa National Kidney, ‘yung continued expansion ng Lung Center of the Philippines, ‘yung patuloy po na paggawa ng specialty centers sa iba&#x27;t ibang regional hospitals… we reinvested it in the healthcare sector where it hurts the most, doon sa kakulungan natin ng healthcare infrastructure,” Acidre said.</p><p>“I don&#x27;t think it&#x27;s from DepEd,” he added.</p><p>“For sure it was done during the bicam. Hindi lang ako privy doon sa details at kung saan pinagkunan. But definitely naman, dumaan po ito sa sound discretion ng technical working group,” Suarez said.</p><p>House Assistant Majority Leader and Zambales First District Rep. Jefferson Khonghun, meanwhile, showed the media a breakdown of the bicam-proposed 2025 budget for the education sector and the Department of Public Works and Highways, which showed allocation for all agencies and items under the education sector totaled P1.055 trillion, higher than DPWH’s P1.033 trillion. </p><p>DPWH’s budget excluded the P82 million funding for convergence projects.</p><p>“Ang sinasabi lang natin is pag in-add mo rin talaga ‘yung budget for the entire education sector, mas malaki pa rin yung budget ng education sector kaysa sa DPWH,” Khonghun said, in response to criticisms that the bicam-proposed 2025 budget did not appear to be consistent with the Constitutional mandate that education should get the biggest slice of the national budget.</p><p>“Sinusuportahan natin ‘yung panawagan ni Secretary Angara na additional budget para sa computerization ng DepEd, at syempre sinusuportahan din natin ‘yung call ng ating Presidente para sa additional budget din ng Department of Education,” he added.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>PORK BARREL? </strong></div><div><br/></div><p>Progressive groups staged a rally in front of the House of Representatives on Tuesday, condemning the bicam version of the proposed 2025 budget, which they said “features bloated funding for election-related pork barrel projects, while subsidies for health and education services were slashed”.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/business/2024/12/11/congress-finalizes-2025-budget-2143">Congress finalizes 2025 budget</a></div><p>“Kung seryoso ang kongreso na labanan ang kurapsyon dapat baguhin ang budget, ibalik ang kinaltas na budget para sa mga serbisyong pang panlipunan, bawasan ang budget para sa utang panlabas, alisin ang lahat ng porma ng pork barrel,” Bayan Secretary General Mong Palatino said.</p><p>Congressmen denied that AKAP, which the bicam proposed to get P26 billion next year, was a form of pork barrel.</p><p>“As the Secretary of the DSWD has mentioned, the DSWD is the sole implementer of the program. So, lahat ng mga listahan doon, dumadaan sa validation ng mga registered social workers,” Bongalon said.</p><p>“I don&#x27;t have any idea kung paano yung sinasabi na P21 billion sa Kongreso at P5 billion sa Senado. Basta ang alam natin is yan ay pondo ng Department of Social Welfare and Development, DSWD, at ang implementing agency niyan is ng DSWD... Hindi natin sinasabi na may hand ang lawmakers. Ang sinasabi natin is implementing agency ng program na yan is ang DSWD,” Khonghun added.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO: </strong></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/5PZpCCxooso?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div>

<p>Some lawmakers issued the statement following criticisms on the bicam-proposed cuts to DepEd's 2025 budget and the removal of government subsidy on PhilHealth for next year.</p>

Some lawmakers issued the statement following criticisms on the bicam-proposed cuts to DepEd's 2025 budget and the removal of government subsidy on PhilHealth for next year.

Lawmakers see no need for bicam to reconvene after controversial budget cuts

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Lawmakers see no need for bicam to reconvene after controversial budget cuts

Vivienne Gulla,

ABS-CBN News

Published Dec 17, 2024 04:52 PM PHT

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