By Benjamin Cuaresma
MANILA — The House of Representatives is targeting Oct. 9 for the third-reading approval of the proposed PHP2027 national budget, as lawmakers prepare to begin plenary deliberations following the completion of committee-level hearings.
House Committee on Appropriations vice chair Romeo Momo Sr. said Wednesday that the panel had concluded its final budget hearing Tuesday, keeping the spending plan on schedule for the next stage of congressional action.
Plenary debates are set to begin next week, with the House General Appropriations Bill (GAB) expected to undergo third-reading approval by the end of the legislative calendar on Oct. 9.
The budget process is being conducted under the leadership of Speaker Faustino Dy III, who has also directed a series of public briefings to provide updates on the House’s deliberations.
The briefings are being conducted through three areas of focus: infrastructure, education and social services.
Momo, who also chairs the House Committee on Public Works and Highways, led the infrastructure briefing alongside Appropriations Vice Chairs Reynante Arrogancia of Quezon and Irene Labadlabad of Zamboanga del Norte.
Separate briefings covering education and social services are expected to follow.
While the House moves toward plenary debates, scrutiny of government spending is also emerging as a major issue in the Senate, particularly over flood-control projects.
Senator Francis Pangilinan said Wednesday that budget hearings should provide Congress with an opportunity to demand explanations and accountability from government agencies over allegations involving substandard and so-called ghost flood-control projects.
Pangilinan said lawmakers must closely examine how public funds are being allocated and spent, particularly the billions of pesos programmed for flood-control and other infrastructure projects.
His call comes as flooding continues to affect parts of Luzon, including Metro Manila, Central Luzon and Calabarzon, amid the enhanced southwest monsoon or “habagat” and several cyclones.
Pampanga has been placed under a state of calamity following widespread flooding. According to the Office of Civil Defense, more than 300 barangays across 16 localities were submerged.
Pangilinan said the country needs a comprehensive, long-term strategy for flood management rather than isolated projects or efforts that lack coordination.
He has advocated a unified flood-control master plan designed not only to strengthen flood mitigation but also to address the country’s requirements for potable water, irrigation and hydropower.
With the House preparing to take up the 2027 spending plan in plenary, flood-control allocations and the implementation of related infrastructure projects are expected to remain among the areas subject to congressional scrutiny.
ia/xf
