The bicameral conference committee, composed of senators and representatives, convened on Thursday to resolve disagreements in the 2025 General Appropriations Bill (GAB), including the controversial budget cut in the Office of the Vice President (OVP).

Members of the bicameral panel said they want to pass the budget report as soon as possible, following President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s request to fast-track the passage of the P6.352-trillion budget to avoid a reenacted budget.

Senator Grace Poe, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Finance, acknowledged that the upcoming discussions would be intense but reminded her colleagues that a dynamic collaboration must take priority.

“Everyone wants to secure the highest possible allocation 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, which is 10.1-percent higher than this year’s P5.768 trillion, is set to be the highest budget ever approved by Congress.

Ako Bicol Rep. Elizaldy Co, chairperson of the House Committee on Appropriations, emphasized the budget allocation would ensure the country’s economic progress will continue as outlined in the 8-Point Socioeconomic Agenda, which aims to reduce poverty and elevate the country to upper-middle income status.

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

Speaker Martin Romualdez, meanwhile, urged the committee members to keep the discussions 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’ve focused on what’s urgent — keeping food prices down, creating jobs, making healthcare accessible, improving education, and ensuring disaster preparedness,” Romualdez noted.

The proposed GAB of both the Senate and the House maintained the P1.3-billion budget cut for Duterte’s office, leaving the OVP with P733.198 million from its initial request of P2.03 billion.

Although some senators had expressed a desire to restore the OVP’s budget, House members have stated they will oppose this as the amount lopped from the budget will be reallocated to social services under the Department of Health and the Department of Social Welfare and Development.

Earlier, Duterte claimed that “defunding” her office was part of a political attack against her by administration allies. However, she insisted that the OVP could function even without the full budget.

Another key point of contention is the House-initiated Ayuda para sa Kapos ang Kita (AKAP) program, which the Senate deleted from the 2025 budget. Romualdez had previously argued that they would contest the Senate’s decision before the committee.

The AKAP program, proposed by the DSWD, was designed to assist the “near poor,” including minimum wage earners who make P21,000 or less per month and are vulnerable to economic shocks like job loss and inflation, which could easily push them below the poverty line.

The initiative became controversial after Senator Imee Marcos accused House members of using it to gather signatures for the “fake” people’s initiative (PI) to push for Charter change — a contentious effort strongly opposed by the senators.