MANILA, Philippines – It will be a long week at the House of Representatives as plenary debates for the proposed 2018 national budget begins on Monday, September 4.

The plenary debates – or deliberations on the budget before all 293 members of the lower chamber – is the third step in budget deliberations at the House. The House committee on appropriations had earlier held panel and pre-plenary deliberations on the budgets of different government agencies and departments.

Davao City 1st district Representative Karlo Nograles, appropriations committee chair, will be delivering his sponsorship speech for House Bill Number 6215 or the 2018 General Appropriations Bill before the entire chamber on Monday.

Nograles, in a statement on Sunday, September 3, said they want plenary debates to end in 5 days or by Friday, September 8. Congress expects the budget to be signed into law by President Rodrigo Duterte on or before November 15, said Nograles, among the newest members of Duterte’s PDP-Laban.

“Although there is much exigency in passing the GAB this year because of the impending switch to federalism and other matters, we assure the public that we legislators exercised and will exercise the power of the purse to its fullest, as it is our mandate,” said Nograles in the statement, apparently addressing concerns that the budget was being “rushed.”

The opposition bloc in the House had earlier raised alarm over the budget plenary schedule, saying the House – composed mostly of administration allies – had apparently let go of its power over appropriations.

The majority-recognized minority bloc, meanwhile, said they would scrutinize the proposed budget.

House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez has expressed his support for a swift plenary budget debate, pointing out that 5 days is more than enough time for lawmakers to “show off.”

For 2018, the national government is proposing a budget of P3.767 trillion – an amount 12.4% higher than the 2017 national budget and 21.6% of the gross domestic product.

Ranking officials of the appropriations committee will be jumpstarting budget deliberations on September 4. Nograles will defend the Department of Budget and Management budget.

Committee vice chairmen Camarines Sur 2nd district Representative LRay Villafuerte, Albay 2nd district Representative Joey Salceda, and Rizal 1st district Representative Michael John Duavit will be defending the budgets of the Department of Finance, National Economic and Development Authority, and Tourism department, respectively.

Isabela 2nd district Representative Ana Cristina Go, meanwhile, will be defending the Labor department’s budget.

Once the House passes HB 6215, it will be transmitted to the Senate.

Budget deliberations at the Senate have already begun ahead of the House’s passage of the budget. – Rappler.com