Senate, House kick off bicam meet on 2024 budget

Sherrie Ann Torres, ABS-CBN News

<div class='embed-wrap'><figure data-feedback='fb:likes,fb:comments'><img alt='Members of the bicameral conference committee are eyeing to finish deliberating on the budget bill the soonest possible time, along with the target to ratify its final version before the Christmas break of Congress. Sherrie Ann Torres, ABS-CBN News' src='https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2023/news/11/30/bicameral-conference-committee-11302023.jpg' ><figcaption>Members of the bicameral conference committee are eyeing to finish deliberating on the budget bill the soonest possible time, along with the target to ratify its final version before the Christmas break of Congress. Sherrie Ann Torres, ABS-CBN News</figcaption></figure></div>MANILA — Fifteen senators and 12 congressmen formally opened the bicameral conference committee meeting on the proposed P5.768 trillion national budget for 2024.Sen. Sonny Angara, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, led the Senate contingent. The Senate bicameral panel members include Senators Pia Cayetano, Loren Legarda, Imee Marcos, Cynthia Villar, Ronald dela Rosa, Sherwin Gatchalian, Christopher Go, Nancy Binay, Grace Poe, Mark Villar, Francis Tolentino, JV Ejercito, Jinggoy Estrada, and Risa Hontiveros.<ul class='op-related-articles'>	<li><a href='https://news.abs-cbn.com/business/11/28/23/senate-oks-p577-trillion-national-budget-for-2024'>Senate OKs P5.77-trillion national budget for 2024</a></li></ul>“Sa panahon ngayon ay may uncertain times where countries are at war, children are dying... Pero ang magagawa po natin is gampanan nating mahusay yung ating tungkulin sa ilalim ng Saligang Batas. At the government can provide a steady hand,” Angara said in his opening statement.<figure class='op-interactive'><iframe allow='autoplay; fullscreen' frameborder='0' height='100%' id='ivsplayer01' scrolling='no' src='https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&spid=3001339&vid=2888084' width='100%'></iframe></figure><div class='iwantbar'>Watch more News on <a href='https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news' target='_blank'>iWantTFC</a></div>House Committee on Appropriations chairman Rep. Elizaldy Co called on both parties to deliberate on the proposed national budget with the “spirit of unity and guided by the principles of transparency, accountability and the unwavering pursuit of the common good.”“﻿Let us find a way to reconcile our differences, aligning them with the overarching programs of the present administration," Co said.“I pray that we can reconcile our differences in the coming days and harmonize our varied perspectives with the programs of the present administration and the needs of our constituents," he added.The House's bicameral panel members include Reps. Stella Quimbo, Ralph Recto, Manuel Jose Dalipe, Ferdinand Alexander Marcos, David Suarez, Neptali Gonzales III, Jose Aquino II, Angelo Bongalon, Eleandro Jesus Madrona, Michael John Duavit, and Marcelino Libanan.Interviewed at the sidelines of the meeting, Angara said the proposal to reduce the Office of the President’s P4.38 billion budget was no longer discussed in full given the challenges that the Marcos administration needed to address.He also believes that the confidential fund requests of civilian government agencies will not be granted even in the final version of the budget bill, with the exception of Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT).“Napag-uusapan lang ay DICT to fight cyber security. Minsan giyera, hindi nasa battlefield, kundi someone can disable your cyber networks. Our economy can come to a halt. They’re asking mabalik kahit part of their confidential funds,” Angara told journalists.The DICT originally requested a P300 million confidential fund, but this was not granted.<ul class='op-related-articles'>	<li><a href='https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/09/14/23/poe-doubts-dict-competence-to-handle-confidential-funds'>Poe doubts DICT's competence to handle confidential funds given 'dismal' spending</a></li></ul>Instead, the Senate allocated a P280 million additional fund to the DICT under the line item budget.Members of the bicameral conference committee eye finishing deliberating on the budget bill the soonest possible time, along with the target to ratify its final version before the Christmas break of Congress.

<ul class='op-related-articles'>	<li><a href='https://news.abs-cbn.com/business/11/28/23/senate-oks-p577-trillion-national-budget-for-2024'>Senate OKs P5.77-trillion national budget for 2024</a></li></ul>“Sa panahon ngayon ay may uncertain times where countries are at war, children are dying... Pero ang magagawa po natin is gampanan nating mahusay yung ating tungkulin sa ilalim ng Saligang Batas. At the government can provide a steady hand,” Angara said in his opening statement.<figure class='op-interactive'><iframe allow='autoplay; fullscreen' frameborder='0' height='100%' id='ivsplayer01' scrolling='no' src='https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&spid=3001339&vid=2888084' width='100%'></iframe></figure><div class='iwantbar'>Watch more News on <a href='https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news' target='_blank'>iWantTFC</a></div>House Committee on Appropriations chairman Rep. Elizaldy Co called on both parties to deliberate on the proposed national budget with the “spirit of unity and guided by the principles of transparency, accountability and the unwavering pursuit of the common good.”“﻿Let us find a way to reconcile our differences, aligning them with the overarching programs of the present administration," Co said.“I pray that we can reconcile our differences in the coming days and harmonize our varied perspectives with the programs of the present administration and the needs of our constituents," he added.The House's bicameral panel members include Reps. Stella Quimbo, Ralph Recto, Manuel Jose Dalipe, Ferdinand Alexander Marcos, David Suarez, Neptali Gonzales III, Jose Aquino II, Angelo Bongalon, Eleandro Jesus Madrona, Michael John Duavit, and Marcelino Libanan.Interviewed at the sidelines of the meeting, Angara said the proposal to reduce the Office of the President’s P4.38 billion budget was no longer discussed in full given the challenges that the Marcos administration needed to address.He also believes that the confidential fund requests of civilian government agencies will not be granted even in the final version of the budget bill, with the exception of Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT).“Napag-uusapan lang ay DICT to fight cyber security. Minsan giyera, hindi nasa battlefield, kundi someone can disable your cyber networks. Our economy can come to a halt. They’re asking mabalik kahit part of their confidential funds,” Angara told journalists.The DICT originally requested a P300 million confidential fund, but this was not granted.<ul class='op-related-articles'>	<li><a href='https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/09/14/23/poe-doubts-dict-competence-to-handle-confidential-funds'>Poe doubts DICT's competence to handle confidential funds given 'dismal' spending</a></li></ul>Instead, the Senate allocated a P280 million additional fund to the DICT under the line item budget.Members of the bicameral conference committee eye finishing deliberating on the budget bill the soonest possible time, along with the target to ratify its final version before the Christmas break of Congress.

Sen. Sonny Angara, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, led the Senate contingent. The Senate bicameral panel members include Senators Pia Cayetano, Loren Legarda, Imee Marcos, Cynthia Villar, Ronald dela Rosa, Sherwin Gatchalian, Christopher Go, Nancy Binay, Grace Poe, Mark Villar, Francis Tolentino, JV Ejercito, Jinggoy Estrada, and Risa Hontiveros.

<div class='embed-wrap'><figure data-feedback='fb:likes,fb:comments'><img alt='Members of the bicameral conference committee are eyeing to finish deliberating on the budget bill the soonest possible time, along with the target to ratify its final version before the Christmas break of Congress. Sherrie Ann Torres, ABS-CBN News' src='https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2023/news/11/30/bicameral-conference-committee-11302023.jpg' ><figcaption>Members of the bicameral conference committee are eyeing to finish deliberating on the budget bill the soonest possible time, along with the target to ratify its final version before the Christmas break of Congress. Sherrie Ann Torres, ABS-CBN News</figcaption></figure></div>MANILA — Fifteen senators and 12 congressmen formally opened the bicameral conference committee meeting on the proposed P5.768 trillion national budget for 2024.

Members of the bicameral conference committee are eyeing to finish deliberating on the budget bill the soonest possible time.

Senate, House kick off bicam meet on 2024 budget | ABS-CBN News

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Senate, House kick off bicam meet on 2024 budget

Senate, House kick off bicam meet on 2024 budget