MANILA – Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero on Wednesday said the Senate expects to approve the proposed 2025 national budget before Congress adjourns on December 20 and brought to Malacañang to be signed into law by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.
“Inaasahan namin maaprubahan ang (We expect to approve the) budget at the latest, second week of December, at the earliest first week of December,” Escudero said in a press briefing.
He said Senate Committee on Finance Chairperson Senator Grace Poe and the Senate Legislative Budget Research and Monitoring Office already assured him Tuesday night that the budget proceedings in the chamber are on track to finish all the committee deliberations this month while the Congress is still at recess.
Meanwhile, he said the House of Representatives committed to submit their version of the 2025 General Appropriations Bill on October 25.
“Kung tunay nga na ma-submit nila ng October 25 yun, naka-schedule kami na i-file ang committee report pag-resume namin ng November 4. At inaasahan namin na by November 6 at the latest, kung makatsamba November 5 the following day, ay maiisponsoran na ang panukalang budget ng 2025 (If they can submit it by October 25, we are scheduled to file the committee report when we resume on November 4. And we expect that by November 6 at the latest, if we’re lucky November 5 the following day, the 2025 proposed budget will be sponsored),” Escudero said.
“Baka masimulan na rin namin ang interpellations sa general principles ng November 5 or 6 at magpapatuloy ang (Maybe we can start the interpellations on the general principles on November 5 or 6 and continue the) plenary debates the following week,” he said.
Escudero is confident the plenary debates, which should start in the morning and could end by dawn, can be finished within two weeks.
After the Senate’s approval, the 2025 proposed budget will undergo the scrutiny of the bicameral conference, which is also expected to take around two weeks. (PNA)