Poe aims to finalize PHP6.352T 2025 GAB hearings by Oct 18

Senate Finance Committee Chair Grace Poe expects to wrap up committee hearings on the House-approved PHP6.352 trillion 2025 General Appropriations Bill by October 18.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. certified the bill as urgent, urging lawmakers to fast-track its passage to ensure uninterrupted government operations and allocate fiscal resources for vital initiatives.

The proposed budget is equivalent to 22.1% of the gross domestic product and includes a P1.3-billion cut to the Office of the Vice President's (OVP) budget, bringing the office's total allocations down to PHP733 million.

Congressmen have also created a 'small committee' to resolve individual amendments to the budget bill until September 27, with funding reallocated from the OVP to the Social Welfare and Health departments.