Senate starts P6.3T 2025 budget deliberations

The Senate on Wednesday kicked off its marathon plenary deliberations on the 2025 General Appropriations Bill containing the proposed P6.3 trillion budget for next year.

Funding was increased for health and education projects, with an additional P9.9 billion allocated for teaching materials next year, as well as legal, medical, and financial assistance to over 200,000 Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs), emergency employment assistance for 1.4 million workers, and fuel subsidies for Public Utility Vehicle (PUV) drivers.

The budget includes support for the construction of 700 rural health units, 300 local government units and Department of Health hospitals, as well as digitalizing auditing processes at the Commission on Audit and utilizing artificial intelligence in examining suspicious transactions by the Anti-Money Laundering Council.

Other initiatives include enhanced funding for agriculture, prioritization of components in the National Rice Program, and support for sustainable livelihood programs for farmers and fisherfolk.

The spending plan also provides socialized housing for over 100,000 families next year and increases budget allocations to the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the National Security Council, the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency, and the Philippine Coast Guard.