House OKs 2024 budget, passes LEDAC-priority bills

MANILA, Philippines — After five weeks of grueling deliberations, the House of Representatives approved on third and final reading late Wednesday the P5.768-trillion national budget for 2024 and passed 20 priority bills of President Marcos.

Administration lawmakers voted 296-3 on House Bill 8980, or the General Appropriations Bill of 2024, which will soon be sent to the Senate for purposes of harmonizing each chamber’s version, and come up with a united budget that will be decided by the bicameral conference committee.

Speaker Martin Romualdez lauded the timely passage of the 2024 GAB, stating that it not only demonstrated the commitment of the House to upholding its constitutional role but also underscored its dedication to serving the Filipino people with transparency and accountability.

The House leadership decided to reallocate confidential and intelligence funds, originally designated for non-security departments like the Office of the Vice President and the Department of Education, to bolster security efforts in the West Philippine Sea.

A significant portion of these funds will now support the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency and National Security Council, organizations responsible for intelligence activities and national security coordination, respectively.

20 LEDAC-priority bills passed

Alongside the passage of the 2024 national budget, Congress also approved all 20 of the LEDAC-priority bills of President Marcos, with eight of these already signed into law by the Chief Executive since Congress reconvened session last July 24, Romualdez disclosed.

Among these newly signed laws are Republic Act 11962 (Trabaho Para sa Bayan Act), RA 11956 (Extending the Tax amnesty Availment Period), RA 11958 (Increases the Disability Pension of Veterans), RA 11959 (Regional Specialty Centers Act), RA 11960 (One Town One Product Philippines Act), RA 11961 (Amending the National Cultural Heritage Act), RA 11953 (New Agrarian Emancipation Act) and RA 11954 (Maharlika Investment Fund Act of 2023).

Also, Romualdez reported that out of the 17 measures mentioned by Marcos in his second State of the Nation Address in July, 10 have already been passed on third and final reading by the House.

These included the ratified conference committee report on Local Government Unit Income Classification and the Ease of Paying Taxes Act; and eight other bills – Fiscal Regime for the Mining Industry, MUP Pension, Amendments to the Anti-Agricultural Smuggling Act, Single-Use Plastic Bags Tax Act, VAT on Digital Services, Amendment of the Fisheries Code, Anti-Financial Accounts Scamming Act and the Immigration Modernization Act.

The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) has welcomed the passage of the Senate version of the Magna Carta of Seafarers, which is seen to benefit thousands of Filipino seamen working abroad.

DMW officer-in-charge Hans Leo Cacdac said the passage sends a strong signal to the international maritime and shipping industry that the Philippines is bent on complying with its obligations to the Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for seafarers. –  Mayen Jaymalin