By Brian Campued
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Thursday assured that the 2025 General Appropriations Bill (GAB) will be signed “before the year ends” as he wanted to be “very sure” that the national budget will be directed to priority projects.
This after the President deferred the Dec. 20 signing of the expenditure program to allow more time for a “rigorous and comprehensive” review of the measure.
He also met with Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, Finance Secretary Ralph Recto, Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman, Public Works Secretary Manuel Bonoan, and Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Arsenio Balisacan to review the proposed P6.352 trillion national budget.
“Well, we had to have a look because maraming nagbago from the budget requests from the different departments and we have to put it back in the same shape that we had first requested,” Marcos told reporters in a media interview in Pasay City.
“We’re going through item by item, line by line to see what is priority and what is not,” he added.
The bicameral conference committee approved the final version of House Bill No. 10800 on Dec. 11, leaving the national budget’s fate in the hands of the President who has the power to approve or veto some of the items of the GAB.
Marcos stressed that the budget should have stronger safeguards on spendings, particularly on insertions as some project proposals lack appropriate programs of work or documentation.
“Hindi maliwanag kung saan pupunta ang pera, kaya’t ’yon ang liliwanagin natin. Hindi naman tayo nagkaroon ng napakalaking budget na [nagdulot ng] savings,” he said.
“Kaya’t kailangang maingat na maingat tayo kasi ’yong ginagastos diyan ay—hindi naman karamihan pero meron diyan—utang,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Chief Executive also assured the public that the Philippine Health Corp. (PhilHealth) will continue providing health benefits to its members despite the zero allocation for the state insurer’s subsidies in the 2025 GAB.
“I would like to just assure everybody, huwag niyong inaalala na mababawasan ang serbisyo kahit na kanino. Para sa senior [citizens], para sa mga mahirap, para sa middle class, walang mababawasan kahit isang kusing,” Marcos said.
“Dadagdagan natin ’yan in 2025. Mas dadami pa ang magiging serbisyo na ibinibigay ng PhilHealth. Mas lalaki pa ang magiging payment na ibibigay sa insurance claim,” he added.
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