The House of Representatives received the 2023 National Expenditure Program (NEP), or the planned P5.268 trillion budget, from the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) on Monday. Amenah Pangandaman, the Budget Secretary, presented the budget plan to House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez. Romualdez stated that the House intends to complete budget discussions by October 1.

“We will fulfill our constitutional mandate to scrutinize next year’s national budget,” he stated. “We shall go through this budget thoroughly, judiciously but with dispatch.”

“The House of the people will effectively respond to the needs of the people,” he added, “especially in addressing the continued impact of the health crisis, creating more jobs, and ensuring food security.” The projected national budget for 2023 is 4.9 percent greater than the current budget. Pangandaman stated that the agriculture sector will receive P184.1 billion, which is 39.2 percent more than the allotment for this year.

The Department of Education, state universities and colleges, the Commission on Higher Education, and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority will have about P852.8 billion.

“We will also support shovel-ready infrastructure programs (P1.2 trillion) under the Build, Better, More Program to propel growth in agriculture, trade, and tourism sectors and eventually reduce transport and logistics costs,” Pangandaman added.

P167.1 billion will be allocated to the Department of Transportation, P718.4 billion to the Department of Public Works and Highways, and P476 million to the Department of Energy.