The House of Representatives will act on the passage of the 2023 budget as soon as it receives the National Expenditure Program (NEP) from Malacañang, House Speaker Martin Romualdez announced Sunday.

In a statement, Romualdez said that the NEP is expected to be submitted by the executive department under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in the third week of August.

“Rest assured that the House will act immediately on the budget,” he said.

As per tradition, the Office of the President is expected to submit the NEP within 30 days after he delivers his first State of the Nation Address which will be then used as the basis for the 2023 General Appropriations Bill.

The proposed budget will be first reviewed by the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives.

The committee will then summon the agencies to justify their budgets with the Department of Budget and Management assisting and providing technical inputs.

The Committee on Appropriations then presents to the House body the proposed budget and passes it on third reading.

Romualdez said the lower chamber has buckled down to work and will continue to work, now that nearly all House committees have been constituted with respective chairpersons and members.

“I thank the House Deputy Speakers for helping hold the fort at the plenary, as well as Majority Leader Mannix Dalipe, senior Deputy Majority Leader Ferdinand Alexander Marcos, and the members of the Committee on Rules for assisting in the process of forming the House panels,” he said.

Once constituted, House committees can hold hearings on filed House Bills (HB) and other measures, the initial steps in the legislative process.

Since the opening of the 19th Congress on 25 July, a total of 2,877 measures have been referred to the various committees for deliberation, of which 2,744 HBs; 119 House resolutions; seven House joint resolutions; five House concurrent resolutions; and two resolutions of both Houses.

Of the 64 standing committees in the House of Representatives, 50 have designated chairpersons. All 64 of these panels have been given members.