Senate OKs 2025 budget on final reading; OVP budget, AKAP up to bicam

RG Cruz

ABS-CBN News

MANILA — The Senate threw the decisions on the controversial budgets of the Office of the Vice President and the House of Representatives&#x27; Ayuda sa Kapos ang Kita Program (AKAP) for 2025 to the bicameral conference committee that will be convened, with senators and congressmen to reconcile the 2 versions of the 2025 budget.This, after the Senate approved on 3rd and final reading House Bill 10800 or the proposed 2025 General Appropriations Bill worth P6.352 Trillion, voting 18-0-1.&quot;The budgets of OVP and AKAP will be determined during bicam. For now, OVP is at GAB level while AKAP is restored to the NEP level. We need to consult our House counterparts on these items.&quot; Senate Finance Committee Chair Grace Poe said in response to inquiries from ABS-CBN news.Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel III called for vigilance on the AKAP, along with some other items during the bicameral conference committee proceedings.&quot;Particularly on the following matters which I believe this representation believes to be very significant. Such as the following. Number one, DSWD&#x27;s Ayuda sa Kapos Ang Kita Program, AKAP. Bantayan po natin yan. Number two, DHSUD&#x27;s Housing Programs for the Homeless Poor. Number three, the DOTR&#x27;s On-Hold Projects. Number four, DPWH&#x27;s  Flood Management Programs. Number five, DICT&#x27;s Infrastructure Flagship Projects. Number six, Unprogrammed Appropriations, especially the level. Number seven, the DOH Cancer Assistance Fund. &quot; Pimentel said, &quot;And then let us add also the PhilHealth subsidy as well as the corporate operating budget of PhilHealth. Number eight, some police and military expenditures need to be monitored carefully. Number nine, the allocation for contingency and national disaster risk reduction and management funds because in the Senate we lessened the contingency fund level and increased the NDRRMF level.&quot;Poe said that the Senate expanded existing aid programs.&quot;The Senate version of the 2025 budget is indeed a recalibration of priorities. In this chamber, we made sure that the assistance goes straight to the beneficiaries. Sa inisyatibo ni Vice Chair Imee Marcos, pinalawig natin ang assistance to individuals in crisis situations or AICS upang matulungan hindi lamang ang mga naging biktima ng sakuna, emergency o pang-aabuso, kundi pa rin ang mga hirap sa buhay dahil sa kakarampot na kita mula sa trabaho. &quot; Poe said, &quot;The Senate also prioritized the increase of the social pension for indigent senior citizens. Sa tulong nito, maipagpapatuloy ng DSWD ang dumobleng 1,000 monthly stipend ng mga validated and waitlisted senior citizens beneficiaries mula sa dating 500 pesos lamang.”Poe announced the amendments the Senate approved from among those her colleagues submitted after they terminated the period of interpellation on HB 10800 last week.&quot;Pinakamahalaga sa ating budget ang paglaan ng pondo para sa serbisyong pangkalusugan, edukasyon, at mga programa pangkabuhayan para sa mga Pilipino.&quot; Poe said, &quot;Through the efforts of Vice Chair Pia Cayetano, we made sure that the Cancer Control Program and Cancer Assistance Program are capable of providing early detection, diagnosis, treatment, medicine, and care-related services not just for the eight common types of cancer, but for all emerging types as well.”&quot;To improve our capacity to track the spread of infectious diseases, the UP Philippine Genome Center will now directly receive funding for genomic bio surveillance so that it may conduct research on disease outbreaks and monitor mutations. &quot; Poe said, adding they increased medical assistance to indigent and financially incapacitated patients.&quot;To ensure that no patient will ever be turned away due to lack of hospital beds or incomplete facilities, we included additional allocation for health facilities enhancement program.&quot; Poe explained, &quot; Kabilang na dito ang paglalaan ng dagdag pondo para sa mga mobile laboratories, hospital equipment at mga ambulansya.&quot;Poe added that the 2025 budget embodies their collective belief that education is the cornerstone of national development.&quot;Binigyan nating prioridad ang free higher education program across various state universities and colleges at mga subsidy para sa mga learners at tertiary level students mula sa low-income households. This is to fulfill education&#x27;s role as the great equalizer for all to ensure that our scholars ng bayan are those who are truly in need. Sinigurado rin na bibigyan ng benepisyo sa ating kaguruan ay wasto at nararapat,” Poe said.Poe said that  they also tightened the provision on compensation for teaching overload to make sure that those who rendered more than required number of teaching hours are given the appropriate compensation.  Likewise they allocated funding for the long-standing Gurong Panghinungod or Teachers to the Barrio Program.&quot;Para sa paggawa ng mga bagong classrooms at school buildings, ginawa nating standard ang engineering and administrative overhead expenses to 0.5% of the total amount. This ensures that every peso allocated for the construction of school facilities actually go to the building of more classrooms. Hindi sapat na classrooms lang ang babudgetan. Smart classrooms make for smarter students. Kaya naman pinondohan rin natin ang smart TVs para makapag-agapay sa kaguruan ng mga mag-aaral,” Poe said.Poe also emphasized that they secured funding for the Alternative Learning System and learning resources for learners with disabilities as part of ongoing efforts to make education more inclusive and ensure that no child is left behind. Additionally, they allocated scholarship grants for individuals pursuing a master’s degree in guidance counseling, further supporting the committee’s earlier initiatives to elevate the profession of guidance counselors.They will also retain the gulayan para sa paaralan to maintain the  budget of the school-based feeding program for undernourished learners.The Senate also wants more assistance for the housing program and assistance to workers.&quot;Sa pangunguna naman ni Vice Chair Risa Hontiveros ay maiibsan ang bigat ng babayaran ng beneficiaries ng Pambansang Pabahay para sa Pilipino Program or 4PH ng DHSUD. Ito ay dahil sa pinalawak ng subsidiyang ibibigay para sa programa,” Poe said.They also made sure of funding for instruction materials.&quot;Mula sa committee report, binantayan at pinanatili natin ang budget para sa teaching materials ng mga guro at pinalawig ang pondo para sa mga libro at learning materials ng ating mga estudyante,” Poe said.Poe also announced changes for agriculture.&quot;Layunin din natin palakasin ang sektor ng agrikultura na haligi nang ating ekonomiya at kabuhayan ng maraming Pilipino.  Sa pamumuno ni Vice Chair Cynthia Villar, tiyak na matutugunan natin ang ilang mahalagang aspeto ng sektor na ito para sa mas masaganang ani at matibay na hinaharap,” Poe said, &quot;Unang una naglaan tayo ng karagdagang budget para sa competitive enhancement measure fund upang mapondohan ang  pagbuo ng accreditation ng mga plant at livestock nurseries, pambili at distribution ng site-specific na mga uri ng pananim at pagtatayo ng mga post-harvest facilities na magpapababa ng nasayang na ani ng ating mga magsasaka.”Poe also had something for pets.&quot;We also retained the budget that we allotted for our furry friends. Ang pondo para sa animal welfare program na pinaglaban ni Sen. Cynthia Villar ay makakapaglunsad ng spaying at neutering ng mga hayop upang maiwasan ang paglobo ng kanilang populasyon sa kalye. It will also allow to set up shelters for animals in need,” Poe said.She also announced funds for disaster preparedness.&quot;Dinagdagan natin ang pondo ng PAGASA upang mas mapalakas ang kakayahan nito na magbibigay ng babala ukol sa mga paparating na kalamidad,” Poe said.She also announced funding for  airports of emerging tourist hubs  as well as a new CNS ATM system and  the procurement of a second power substation for the Air Traffic Management Center.Poe also had announcements for financial assistance to local government units.&quot;Isa dito ang pagdadagdag ni Vice Chair Loren Legarda ng mga karagdagang proyekto sa ilalim ng Financial Assistance to Local Government Units o FALGU. Particularly, the inclusion of projects that support women-led social enterprises and the construction of the installation of electric vehicle charging stations pursuant to the Electric Vehicle Industry Development Act,” Poe said.Poe also said they augmented the budget for the revised AFP Modernization Fund, which is necessary especially amid our ongoing maritime disputes, in order to enhance the Philippines&#x27; defense capabilities. They also added to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Fund and Quick Response Funds. To support the administration&#x27;s order to ban all POGO operations in the Philippines,  Poe said they  augmented the budget for the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission so that they can hire additional personnel and effectively implement the crackdown on POGO activities, especially those operating underground.Poe also said that through the leadership of Vice Chair Francis Tolentino, they increased the funding of the PNP for the construction of 54 police stations in various LGUs. They also  provided the Land Registration Authority additional funding for the training and retooling of Registrars of Deeds nationwide to fast-track the release of titles for the Pambansang Pabahay para sa Pilipino program 4PH, Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program, and various transactions.They also funded the  Developmental and Social Lawyering Program of the Supreme Court to support public interest law organizations and clinics in bringing legal aid to underserved  sectors.They also funded preparations and initial activities for the ASEAN Summit to be hosted by the Philippines in 2026.Senate Deputy Minority Leader Risa Hontiveros shared her own highlights from among the changes made by the Senate to the budget bill.&quot;Matapos ang dalawang taon nating pagsulong dito sa Senado, may P37 million tayong pondo sa ilalim ng Department of Health, para sa pagtayo ng “women and children protection units” sa DOH-retained hospitals, bilang pagtugon sa tumataas na kaso ng karahasan laban sa kababaihan at kabataan,” Hontiveros said.&quot;Para palakasin ang laban sa human trafficking gaya ng POGO at ibang scams na nambibiktima sa loob at labas ng bansa, P84.9 million ang idadagdag natin sa pondo ng Inter-Agency Council against Trafficking (IACAT).  P32.7 million naman ang inilagay natin sa National Coordination Center Against Online Sexual Abuse and Exploitation of Children and Child Abuse and Exploitation Materials  (NCC-OSAEC CSAEM), para palakasin ang laban sa lumalalang pang-aabuso sa kabataan sa digital space,” Hontiveros said.&quot;At sa tulong ni Subcommittee Chair Sen. Pia Cayetano, matagumpay din nating nai-realign ang kailangang pondo para sa tuition fees at iba pang bayarin ng mga estudyante sa state colleges and universities, ayon na rin sa polisiya ng free higher education. Para sa pagbangon ng mga biktima ng Marawi Siege, muli nating dinagdagan ang pondo ng Marawi Compensation Board sa unprogrammed appropriations para sa patuloy na implementasyon ng Marawi Siege Victims Compensation Act,” Hontiveros said.Hontiveros also said they successfully pushed for the special provision that will allow the Housing Interest Subsidy to be used as additional credit enhancement to further improve the affordability of 4PH housing packages to families belonging to the bottom 30% decile.&quot;Ilalapit niyan ang maayos na pabahay sa libo-libong pamilya na nakatira sa mga ilog at bahaing lugar, at yung mga nagtitiis sa mga “completed but unliveable” na housing projects dahil sa kawalan ng tubig,” Hontiveros said.Senate Committee on Labor Chair Joel Villanueva also shared his own highlights.&quot;We had about additional 200 million for the Training for Work Scholarship Program, for our assessors in TESDA, strengthening the certification system, the assessment and certification for senior high school, Mr. President,  the programs for DA, for NCCA, for our athletes under the Philippine Sports Commission, etc.&quot; Villanueva said, &quot;Mr. President, this representation dreams of a flood-free country. Kung kaya po, ganun na lamang yung ating pagbusisi ng budget ng mga programa ng pamahalaan sa proyekto ng flood control ng ating gobyerno. Sinisiguro po natin na maayos at epektibo ang mga flood control  projects na tinatayo ng ating gubyerno. The DPWH has given us their commitment to timely implementation of the flood control and mitigation projects of the government. Kabilang po dito yung catch-up plan po nila na hiningi natin. Especially, Mr. President, big ticket items that will significantly make a dent to this perennial issue.”

The Senate has approved on 3rd and Final Reading House Bill 10800 or the proposed 2025 General Appropriations Bill worth P6.352 Trillion, voting 18-0-1.

The Senate has approved on 3rd and Final Reading House Bill 10800 or the proposed 2025 General Appropriations Bill worth P6.352 Trillion, voting 18-0-1.

Senate OKs 2025 budget on final reading; OVP budget, AKAP up to bicam | ABS-CBN

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Senate OKs 2025 budget on final reading; OVP budget, AKAP up to bicam

Senate OKs 2025 budget on final reading; OVP budget, AKAP up to bicam

RG Cruz,

ABS-CBN News

Published Nov 26, 2024 08:22 PM PHT

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