‘All systems go’ for budget scrutiny

THE House of Representatives is “all systems go” for next week’s budget deliberations, with the chamber’s appropriations committee set to begin hearings on the proposed P6.793-trillion spending plan for next year, its chairperson said on Thursday.

Lawmakers will kick off the budget process that is expected to stretch into the year’s final months with a briefing from the government’s economic managers on Monday, said Nueva Ecija Rep. Mikaela Angela B. Suansing, who heads the House appropriations committee.

“On Aug. 18, it’s all systems go,” she told reporters after lawmakers met to discuss preparations for this year’s budget discussions.

The Budget department on Wednesday submitted the P6.793-trillion National Expenditure Program for 2026 to the House, just over two weeks after President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr.’s State of the Nation Address.

The budget proposal saw double-digit increases for the Education, Health, and Transportation departments, while allocation for the Public Works department was slashed.

Next year’s budget is equivalent to 22% of the country’s gross domestic product, and is 7.4% higher than the P6.326-trillion national budget this year.

The chamber will hold budget hearings for the whole week, even Fridays, until September, said Ms. Suansing.

“The only time that we are going to take a break is during the holidays,” she said. — Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio