House plenary debates on 2027 budget begin this week

MANILA, Philippines — Plenary deliberations on the P7.2-trillion national budget will start this week at the House of Representatives, as lawmakers try to finish the government’s spending bill before the congressional recess next month and until after the Undas break.

Sponsorship and plenary debates on the 2027 General Appropriations Bill (GAB) will start Tuesday and are expected to be finished on Sept. 25.

The Development Budget Coordination Committee led by the Department of Budget and Management and Department of Finance, in coordination with the Department of Economy, Planning and Development, Office of the President and Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas submitted the 2027 National Expenditure Plan to the House last Aug. 11.

Under the House’s schedule of activities, second reading of the 2027 GAB is slated on Oct. 6 to be followed by the third reading on Oct. 9, after which it will be transmitted to the Senate on the same day.

House appropriations committee chair Mikaela Suansing and Speaker Faustino Dy III said the chamber is on track with its timeline in passing the 2027 GAB, with Dy assuring taxpayers that they will scrutinize every centavo in the budget for 2027 to ensure public funds are properly allocated.

Speaking at a press briefing over the weekend in a public consultation in South Cotabato, Dy said the national budget is currently the most important measure being tackled by the House because of its direct impact on communities and families across the country.

DepEd budget augmentation

Sibling Reps. Migz and Luigi Villafuerte of the 5th and 2nd districts of Camarines Sur, respectively, are pushing for the augmentation of the Department of Education’s P975.9-billion budget for 2027 by adding P12 billion more for the career growth program of teachers and school heads.

In separate statements, they underscored the need for this year’s promotion of more than 5,000 public school teachers and school heads in the province alone.