LAWMAKERS SET TO RECEIVE P5.76T NAT’L BUDGET PROPOSAL FOR 2023

By Maricel V. Cruz

THE House of Representatives is ready to receive Malacañan’s proposed P5.768 trillion national budget for 2024.

Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez said the money measure “is the most important piece of legislation” as he assured the people that “every centavo of the national budget will be spent wisely by ensuring that spending will contribute to economic and national development.”

Under the Constitution, all money measures of the national government emanate from the House.

“We will set clear priorities to arrive at decisions that would further promote sustainable growth aimed at uplifting the lives of Filipino people, enhancing public services, and making our economy strong and more agile,” Romualdez said.

The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) is expected to submit to Congress the 2024 National Expenditures Program anytime next week.

The proposed national government budget for 2024 is equivalent to 21.8 percent of the gross domestic product (GDP) and is 9.5 percent higher than this year’s P5.268 trillion budget.

As in the previous year, Romualdez said that the chamber “will expeditiously scrutinize, deliberate, and pass the national budget through a transparent process.”

“Like last year, we will get the widest consensus on our spending plan among our members.

Foundation Gets P55m Grant For Ph Climate Projects

THE Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation (PDRF) said it received a P55-million grant from the Australian government to implement the Resilient Emergency Communications for Enhanced Disaster Response project for climate-vulnerable local government units of Butuan in Agusan del Norte, Virac in Catanduanes and Borongan in Samar.

The PDRF, an alliance of businesses dedicated to building the disaster risk management capabilities of the private sector in the country, also hosted an operational briefing for the private sector on the effects of Typhoon Egay (international name: Doksuri).

It reported widespread flooding in MIMAROPA, Central Luzon, and Ilocos Region, with landslides also observed in the Cordillera Administrative Region.

PDRF said member companies Manila Water and Maynilad are monitoring dams and rivers; McDonald’s Kindness Kitchen and Jollibee Foods Corp. are monitoring stores in affected areas and are on standby to distribute hot meals to evacuation centers and PLDT and Smart are also sending packs of rice and hygiene kits.

Alagang Kapatid Foundation Inc. dispatched a team to Northern Luzon to distribute relief goods from Pilipinas Shell Foundation Inc., One Meralco Foundation, Maynilad, Metro Pacific Investments Foundation, and Makati Medical Center Foundation. Lifeline utilities are mobilizing to restore services in Egay-affected areas in Northern Luzon, it said.

Launched at the PDRF Emergency Operations Center in Pampanga, Project REACHED is a two-year program that offers a solution to the recurring problem of establishing communications after a major disaster.