(UPDATED) Senate Finance Committee Chair Grace Poe has revealed changes that senators made to the proposed 2025 national budget as she sponsored the proposed general appropriations act for next year for plenary deliberations.

However, her speech was silent on the House of Representatives' reduction of the Office of the Vice President's 2025 budget as well as the Ayuda sa Kapos ang Kita Program which was an initiative of the House of Representatives in the 2024 budget.

During her speech, Poe went through  the individual changes made by the various senators who serve as her committee vice chairpersons that  centered mostly on guaranteeing funding for aid programs but there was no mention of the House-initiated AKAP aid, nor the assistance programs affected by the budget cut on the OVP.

Poe talked about health related expenses and projects. Poe said that the Senate, through Vice-Chair Sen. Pia Cayetano, has augmented the DOH's Health Facilities Enhancement Program Fund to ensure that over 700 rural health units, 300 LGUs and DOH hospitals, and various other clinics are constructed and equipped with the necessary medical supplies and facilities nationwide.

"Aligned with this is the additional funding for the prevention and control of communicable diseases such as tuberculosis, HIV, malaria, dengue, and rabies. Our major hospitals like the Philippine Children’s Medical Center,  Lung and Heart Center will also receive additional funding to cater to indigent patients." Poe said. " Naglaan tayo ng karagdagang pondo para sa First 1,000 Days Program ng DOH at National Nutrition Council kung saan mabibigyan ng masustansyang pagkain ang 19,900 nutritionally-at-risk na buntis, 39,000 kabataan na may severe malnutrition, at 133,000 pang ibang bata."

Poe said this will also provide the needed vitamins for 11.3 million women of reproductive age, 2.3 million pregnant women, 1.4 million infants, and 11.8 million toddlers.

Poe also discussed the conditional cash transfer program or the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program or 4Ps.

"Sinigurado din natin na mapondohan ang P400 kada buwan na subsidiya sa mga buntis at may anak na bagong silang hanggang dalawang taong gulang, upang mahikayat at masiguro na magpa-check-up, bakuna, at makakain nang masustansya ang mga nanay at kanilang anak," Poe said.

Poe also said they made sure to take care of the P9.9-billion budget for teaching materials which she said is a staggering 106% increase from the 2024 budget after the passage of RA 11997 or the Kabalikat sa Pagtuturo Act.

"We also left intact the budget for education assistance programs and subsidies, and the continuation of the free tuition under the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Program. Thanks to the efforts of our staunch education advocate, Vice-Chair Pia, may dagdag na pondo tayo para sa DepEd Eight-Week Literacy and Numeracy programs to help close the divide in learning proficiency. We also infused massive funding to DepEd’s budget on textbooks and instructional materials. But even with textbooks and supplies, marami sa ating mga estudyante at guro ang nangangapa pa rin sa dilim. This is why your Senate allocated funding for the electrification of our schools," Poe explained.

Poe also said the committee reported an overall budget increase for state universities and colleges, most of which went to colleges of medicine and allied health programs across the country.

She also reported that through the intervention of Vice-Chair Imee Marcos, the Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan - Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services: Kapangyarihan at Kaunlaran sa Barangay or KALAHI-CIDSS Program received an increase in funding to provide cash assistance to college students from low-income families serving as learning facilitators or youth development workers or parents completing learning sessions with their children who struggle to read.

Poe also said that other social protection programs will also be retained. She  also said they also addressed housing.

"Sa ilalim naman ng Pambansang Pabahay Para sa Pilipino Program o 4PH ng DHSUD, mahigit 100,000 pamilya ang mabibigyan ng socialized housing units." Poe said, "Sa panahon ng kalamidad, may karagdagang pondo tayong mahuhugot para sa Integrated Disaster Shelter Assistance Program na gagamitin sa emergency shelter support, rental subsidy, at housing para sa mga nawalan ng bahay. Bukod pa ito sa karagdagang pondo sa Quick Response Fund para sa rehabilitation at ayuda sa mga biktima ng sakuna."

Poe also said the Senate panel also approved the recommendation of Vice Chair Sen. Joel Villanueva, to augment legal, medical, and financial assistance to more than 200,000 OFWs.

"Nirekomenda rin ni Sen. Joel ang dagdag na pondo para sa National Reintegration Center at mga OFW helpdesk," Poe added. "This is on top of the DSWD funding for returning undocumented OFWs to obtain counseling and livelihood training. May nakalaan ding pondo para sa psychosocial at basic needs ng mga biktima ng human trafficking."

She also said the Senate made sure there are funds in 2025 for fuel subsidies.

"Taon-taon ay nagbibigay tayo ng suporta sa ating mga PUV drivers. Sa 2025, muli tayong magbibigay ng pondo para sa fuel subsidy upang magbigay ginhawa sa higit na isang milyong tsuper sa gitna ng tumataas na presyo ng petrolyo. Higit 20,000 na drayber at 40 milyong komyuter rin ang makikinabang sa karagdagang pondo sa Service Contracting Program," Poe said.

Poe also said that upon the initiative of Sen. Marcos, some 194,804 beneficiaries  will benefit from the Sustainable Livelihood Program of DSWD . Poe added about 100 thousand farmers and fisherfolk will also benefit from the Farmers and Fisherfolks Assistance Program.

Poe also said that through the intervention of Vice-Chair Villanueva, 1.4 million Filipino workers will be given emergency employment assistance.

"Bukod pa ito sa pondo para sa Training for Work Scholarship Program kung saan sasanayin natin ang 152,000 na Pilipino sa mga industriya na may mataas na demand para mas mabilis silang makahanap ng trabaho. Bibigyan din natin ng budget ang Tulong Trabaho Scholarship Program upang makatulong sa 65,000 enrollees na magkaroon ng technical at vocational skills," she  said.

Poe said Vice-Chair Sen. Cynthia Villar pushed the prioritization of various components of the National Rice Program to boost production. Poe also said that the national programs of the Department of Agriculture has funding for fertilizer subsidies so that we can help farmers access these essential resources at lower costs.

Poe also reported that the 2025 budget allotted money for the Animal Welfare Program to fund spaying and neutering to control the population of strays.

Poe also said that the Senate also fully supported the efficient and responsible use of modern technology, especially in fighting crimes and ensuring the speedy dispensation of justice.

"As a testament to this, we will support the utilization of Artificial Intelligence in the examination of suspicious transactions by the Anti-Money Laundering Council and in the court transcriptions, legal research, and case management of the Judiciary," Poe said.

She  also bared funding for the Commission on Audit to digitalize its auditing processes.

There's also more funding for cybersecurity. "Our digitalization and connectivity initiatives will fail if our cybersecurity fails. Dahil sa dumadaming kaso ng cybercrime, atin ding pinondohan ang DOJ Office of Cybercrime para mapalakas ang kakakayahan nilang mag-imbestiga at mag-habla ng kaso. To strengthen the evidence against these cybercriminals, we also provided additional funding for essential tools of the NBI's Digital Forensic Laboratory," Poe said. "Sa tulong ni Majority Leader and DILG Vice-Chair Tolentino, tumaas din ang pondo para sa upgrading ng ICT equipment ng PNP Anti-Cybercrime Group at maintenance ng fingerprint identification systems ng ilang PNP regional offices."

Poe said the Senate is also providing the Armed Forces, National Security Council, and the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency with substantial increases.

"In a rapidly evolving world, where tensions escalate in a snap of a finger, our military must be adaptable, capable, and technologically advanced to face any security threats," Poe said.

To prevent a case similar to that of dismissed Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo, Poe said the Senate shall support the funding for the Automated Biometrics Identification System of the Bureau of Immigration which will introduce biometric verification and cross-matching with criminal databases for passengers entering and exiting our ports of entry.

Poe also said the Senate made sure there will be no cuts to the budget for the elections due next year.

"Upang masiguro naman ang maayos na halalan sa darating na Mayo, sinigurado natin na hindi mababawasan ang P35.190 bilyong pondo ng COMELEC para sa midterm national and local elections, barangay at SK, at sa BARMM regional elections, kabilang na ang kauna-unahang online voting para sa mga OFWs," she said.

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