Manila: The House of Representatives is on track to approve the proposed 2027 national budget on third reading by Oct. 9, House Committee on Appropriations vice chair Romeo Momo Sr. said Wednesday.
According to Philippines News Agency, Momo stated in a press briefing that the panel concluded its last budget hearing Tuesday, paving the way for plenary deliberations on the proposed spending plan to begin next week. "Before we start, we are pleased to report that the House Committee on Appropriations has completed the budget deliberations on schedule. The last budget hearing concluded as planned yesterday," Momo said.
"We are slated to begin plenary deliberation next week, and we remain on track to approve the House General Appropriations Bill, or GAB, on the third reading by the end of the legislative calendar on Oct. 9," the Surigao del Sur lawmaker added. The House is working to keep deliberations on the proposed 2027 national budget on schedule under the leadership of Speaker Faustino Dy III as lawmakers prepare for the next stage of scrutiny in plenary.
Wednesday's press briefing was also the first in a series directed by Dy to keep the public updated on developments in the budget deliberations. The briefings are organized into three clusters covering infrastructure, education, and social services. Momo, who chairs the House Committee on Public Works and Highways, was joined at the infrastructure briefing by House Appropriations Vice Chairs Reps. Reynante Arrogancia of Quezon and Irene Labadlabad of Zamboanga del Norte. Separate briefings on education and social services will follow.
Meanwhile, at the Senate, Senator Francis Pangilinan expressed hopes that budget hearings at the chamber would serve as a venue to seek clarifications and accountability over flood-control programs and other government projects. In a statement on Wednesday, Pangilinan said hearings should allow Congress to demand answers from government agencies over alleged substandard and ghost flood-control projects.
He emphasized that deliberations on the proposed national budget provide Congress an opportunity to scrutinize how public funds are allocated and spent, including billions of pesos earmarked for flood-control and other infrastructure projects. Pangilinan noted the ongoing flooding issues in Luzon, particularly in Metro Manila, Central Luzon, and Calabarzon, due to the enhanced southwest monsoon or 'habagat' and several cyclones.
Pangilinan highlighted Pampanga, which is under a state of calamity following widespread damage caused by the habagat. More than 300 barangays across 16 localities were submerged in floodwaters, according to a report from the Office of Civil Defense. He underscored the need for a comprehensive, long-term approach to flooding instead of relying on isolated or poorly coordinated projects. Pangilinan has been advocating a unified flood-control master plan that would improve flood-control and mitigation systems while also addressing the country's need for potable water, irrigation, and hydropower.
