House gets P12-billion hike as 2023 budget ratified

The bicameral conference committee of Congress increased the budget of the House of Representatives by P12 billion under the proposed P5.268 trillion appropriations for 2023 which was ratified by the Senate and the House on Monday night.

The final version gave the lower chamber a total budget of P28.8 billion, Senate finance panel chairperson Sonny Angara said.

Angara made the disclosure when asked by Senate Minority Leader Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III.

“P12.4 billion is an incredible increase. I suppose they gave the number of  items. This is not in the Senate version,” Pimentel said.

Angara responded saying, “Yes. It is for buildings, vehicle acquisitions, personnel services of new members of the House and operational requirements in the districts of their members.”

GMA News Online reached out to the Office of the Speaker for the details of the budget increase, but has yet to receive a response as of posting time.

Angara said at least P102 million was also allocated for the 205,584 applicants of the Tertiary Education Subsidy (TES) program, an assistance given to students enrolled under the private schools in areas with no state university/ college or local university/college and those from families of Unconditional Cash Transfer Program.

The TES program was unfunded in the original proposal.

Other increases compared with original proposed budget include:

• P3 billion fuel subsidies for public transportation vehicle drivers from P2.5 billion
• P6.5 billion for Sustainable Livelihood Program from initial P4.4 billion
• P36.8 billion for Protective Services for Individuals and Families in Difficult Circumstances from P19.9 billion
• P72 billion worth of health care workers benefits from P38 billion, among others

“These [provisions] are pro-people,” Senate finance panel vice chaiperson Grace Poe said.

“Sinuri ito nang maigi. Inaral nang mabuti. Pinagdebatihan nang husto,” Angara added.

(This budget has been thoroughly scrutinized, studied and debated.)

Angara earlier announced that Congress restored the P150 million confidential and intelligence fund of the Department of Education headed by Vice President Sara Duterte and the P10 billion budget for the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict.—LDF, GMA Integrated News