2024 budget bill certified as urgent

PRESIDENT Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. has certified as urgent the proposed P5.768-trillion national budget for 2024.

The certification will allow the House of Representatives to pass the 2024 General Appropriations bill on second and final reading on the same day.

The 2024 National Expenditure Plan is 9.5% higher than this year’s budget and is equivalent to 21.7% of the gross domestic product (GDP).

The House of Representatives started plenary debates on the proposed budget on Tuesday, with lawmakers calling for accountability in the the use of confidential and intelligence funds. — Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza