House eyes passage of 2023 budget by September 30

Leaders of the House of Representatives on Tuesday expressed confidence they can pass the proposed P5.2 trillion budget for 2023 on final reading by September 30, 2022.

House Majority Leader Manuel Jose Dalipe of Zamboanga City as well as Representatives Stella Luz Quimbo of Marikina and Margarita Ignacia Nograles of PBA party-list made the statement ahead of the expected submission of the proposed appropriations before Congress on August 22.

"Last Congress, we were able to beat the September 30 deadline giving all members of the House of Representatives time to deliberate and interpellate intelligently. We want to give everybody a shot at scrutinizing the budget," Dalipe said.

"I can confidently say that we can make the September 30 deadline," he added.

Quimbo, the senior vice chairman of the committee on appropriations, said that the panel is eyeing to finish its hearings by September 16 to give the House plenary two weeks to deliberate before the measure is approved on third and final reading.

"We will be able to pull it off with hard work," she added.

Nograles said the appropriations panel will hold a meeting this week to prepare for the budget deliberations.—LDF, GMA News