President Marcos is set to sign the P6.532-trillion national budget for 2025 before Christmas.
“According to the usual process, the Congress-approved national budget bill will be forwarded to the Office of the President for review. The national budget for 2025 will be signed before Christmas Day,” according to a statement by the Presidential Communications Office (PCO).
PCO Secretary Cesar Chavez said the tentative schedule for signing the spending bill is on December 20.
Samantala, binatikos ng militanteng mga mambabatas ang tila pagmamadali sa pagpapatibay ng bicameral conference committee report tungkol sa inaprubahang badyet.
PCO Secretary Cesar Chavez said the tentative schedule for signing the spending bill is on December 20.
"Does this (unprogrammed appropriations) go to all the things removed from programmed appropriations such as for education?" asked Manuel.
Sinabi ni Manuel na kinukwestyon niya ang bicam conference report “dahil nakikita natin ang mga bagong pagbabago, hindi para sa ikabubuti, kundi para ilayo ang bansa sa tunay na progreso.”
He also questioned the reduction in the funding of the Department of Education (DepEd), while noting the increase in the P7 billion budget for state colleges and universities (SUCs).
PhilHealth Zero Subsidy
The representative of Kabataan also mentioned the "big challenge" facing the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth), which no longer has a subsidy base in the budget for next year.
“While the zero budget for PhilHealth is a big challenge for this agency to fulfill the expectations of them, it is surprising why there is a reduction in the DOH's funding. How can we hope to improve health care services if there is a P25.8 trillion peso reduction in the DOH budget compared to the bicam version of the NEP (National Expenditure Program) in our national budget?” asked Manuel.
According to Senate President Francis Escudero, the zero subsidy for PhilHealth in the approved budget should be a wakeup call for agencies that are not doing the right thing.
“For this shortcoming, this should serve as a wakeup call to them, if not a slap in the face to do their job. It is not right to reward them for their shortcomings by giving them money that they can't even use,” said Escudero.
He also criticized the health insurer because not a single patient has yet benefited from the zero balance billing even though it has an allocation of P600 billion.
Bato is misinformed
Meanwhile, Tingog party-list Rep. Jude Acidre that "the information is wrong" by Sen. Ronald dela Rosa regarding his criticism of the memorandum of agreement (MOA) of PhilHealth and Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP).
Noong Miyerkules, sinabi ni Dela Rosa na nagtaka siya kung bakit pinili ng PhilHealth at DBP na makipagsosyo sa isang party-list at hindi sa DOH para sa pag-develop at rehabilitasyon ng mga health facility.
“One must ask why Senator Dela Rosa is so focused on attacking this program, which is designed to uplift underserved communities. It may be an attempt to divert attention from the House's investigation into extrajudicial killings when he was police chief. His sudden preoccupation with governance and ethics seems to be just smoke to cover up his own accountability issues rather than the real criticism of the MOA," explained Acidre.
Tingog Partylist's participation in this initiative is rooted in their mission to improve access to health care, especially in underserved and rural communities.
Acidre also explained that the MOA shows the role of Tingog in support of LGUs in accessing DBP's financial mechanisms, fiscal training, and direct medical assistance to patients.
“Tingog does not hold funds or manage projects. The MOA complies with all legal protocols. The ethics of this partnership should be measured based on the goal and results, not on Dela Rosa's baseless speculations,” he added.
Acidre also encouraged Dela Rosa to recognize the true purpose of the initiative.
“Instead of making a good cause an issue, Senator Dela Rosa should focus on the questions about his past and how it affected the lives of many Filipinos. Tingog will remain committed to serving the people, especially in rural areas that have been neglected for a long time,” concluded Acidre.
