Bicam tackles 2025 budget disputes, including VP Duterte’s office cut

The bicameral conference committee, comprised of senators and members of the House of Representatives, convened on Thursday to iron out the disagreeing provisions of the 2025 General Appropriations Bill (GAB), including the controversial cut in the budget of Vice President Sara Duterte’s office.

The bicam panel is eyeing to pass its report at the soonest time pursuant to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s request to fast-track the passage of the GAB, containing the P6.352 trillion budget, to forfend a reenacted budget.

Once reconciled, the GAB would be the basis of the 2025 General Appropriations Act, which would be transmitted to Malacañang for Marcos’ signature.

Senator Grace Poe, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Finance, expected that the subsequent discussions would be intense but reminded her peers that dynamic collaboration must take precedence.

“Everyone wants to get the highest score for their sector… But let’s not forget: this is also a time for cooperation and compromise,” she said.

Next year's proposed national budget, 10.1 percent higher than this year's P5.768 trillion, is poised to be the highest budget ever approved by Congress.

Ako Bicol Rep. Elizaldy Co, chairperson of the House Committee on Appropriations, said this allocation will guarantee that the country’s economic progress will continue as envisioned in the 8-Point socioeconomic agenda intended to bring down the poverty rate and elevate the country's status as an upper-middle-income economy.

“By continuing the socio-economic programs and infrastructure investments in this budget, we will profoundly impact every Filipino battling inflation and the impact of calamities brought by climate change. More importantly, this budget will bring hope and optimism to vulnerable sectors that look to us for leadership and support,” he said.

Speaker Martin Romualdez, meanwhile, appealed to bicam members to keep the dialogue practical and straightforward.

“We don’t need to overcomplicate this. Let’s focus on what will make the biggest difference for the Filipino people… We focused on what’s urgent: keeping food prices down, creating jobs, making healthcare accessible, improving education, and ensuring disaster preparedness,” Romualdez stressed.

The respective GAB of the Senate and House retained the P1.3 billion budget cut in Duterte’s office, leaving it only with P733.198 million from its initial request of P2.03 billion.

Although some senators have expressed intent to restore the OVP’s budget to the bicam, House members said they will oppose it, given that the slashed budget will be reallocated to social services of the Department of Health and the Department of Social Welfare and Development.

Earlier, Duterte claimed that "defunding" her office was part of the political attack against her by administration allies. Nevertheless, she maintained that the OVP could function even without a budget.

Apart from the OVP, another key point of contention is the proposed House-initiated Ayuda para sa Kapos ang Kita (AKAP) program, which the Senate deleted from the 2025 budget.

Romualdez had previously contended that they would contest the Senate’s decision in the bicam.

The DSWD’s AKAP was designed to assist the “near poor,” including minimum wage employees earning P21,000 and below per month who are vulnerable to economic shocks such as loss of jobs or runaway inflation that can easily send them back to the poverty line.

The initiative had been controversial after Senator Imee Marcos accused House members of using it to lure signatures for the “fake” people’s initiative (PI) to carry on with the Charter change—a contentious effort forcefully opposed by senators.