Senate, House resume sessions after one-month break; budget is priority

CONGRESS resumes sessions on Monday after a monthlong break, with Senate President Francis “Chiz” G. Escudero vowing to fast-track the passage of priority bills including next year’s budget before they go on another break on Dec. 21.

“The budget bill is No. 1 on our list, No. 2, the priority bills that we haven’t approved and third, local bills that we are trying to finish before this Congress ends,” he told DZBB radio on Sunday.

Meanwhile, Senate Minority Floor Leader Aquilino Martin “Koko” L. Pimentel III said lawmakers should ensure priority projects have firm funding next year and don’t rely on unprogrammed funds.

This comes after the Supreme Court last week blocked the transfer of P29.9 billion — the last tranche of the Philippine Health Insurance Corp.’s (PhilHealth) P90 billion in excess funds — to the national Treasury.

“During the budget process, the important projects should be prioritized by putting them in the programmed appropriations,” he told BusinessWorld in a Viber message.

The excess PhilHealth funds would have been used to support unprogrammed appropriations worth P203.1 billion, which would support state health, infrastructure and social service programs.

Economists earlier said this could cause delays in government projects that have not been allotted specific funds.

Mr. Pimentel said the tribunal did not consider the effect of its injunction on state projects since this is irrelevant to the lawsuit filed by three groups. The senator is part of one group that questioned the PhilHealth fund transfer.

The High Court’s Public Information Office said the injunction was effective immediately. Oral arguments for the three consolidated lawsuits challenging the transfer was set for Jan. 14.

The Senate is set to start plenary debates on next year’s proposed P6.352-trillion national budget on Nov. 6. It seeks to approve the spending plan by the second week of December at the latest.

“Budget allocation must be guided by prudent financial management,” Michael Henry Ll. Yusingco, a fellow at the Ateneo de Manila University Policy Center, said in a Facebook Messenger chat. “Having a bloated unprogrammed fund column is not good fiscal management.”

Senator Joseph Victor “JV” G. Ejercito earlier said his colleagues would ask PhilHealth to justify its plea for a bigger budget next year after declaring P89.9 billion as excess funds, while millions of poor Filipinos find it hard to pay their medical bills.

The Senate in August passed on final reading a bill that would cut PhilHealth premiums to 3.25% next year from 5% this year under the Universal Health Care Act.

It would set PhilHealth premium contributions at 3.25% this year for those with a monthly income of P10,000 to P50,000, with incremental increases of 0.25% each year.

“Pending and new infrastructure projects will not hit roadblocks as the government may still utilize other funding sources such as new appropriations,” Terry L. Ridon, a public investment analyst and convenor of think tank InfraWatch PH, said via Messenger chat.

PhilHealth started hiking its monthly contribution rate in 2019 so that it could sustain the benefits given to its members. The contribution rate this year will stay at 5% from 2.75% five years ago.

It spent P75.8 billion on benefit payouts last year, almost half of the amount it paid in 2022 at P143 billion and P140 billion in 2021, PhilHealth Executive Vice-President Eli Dino D. Santos told congressmen in May.

“The goal is to produce a national budget where all items are duly funded,” Mr. Yusingco said.

Meanwhile, the Commission on Appointments is expected to hear the appointments of 48 officials, including recently installed Cabinet members of the Marcos administration, Surigao del Sur Rep. Johnny T. Pimentel said in a statement.

The body would hold confirmation hearings on Interior Secretary Juanito Victor “Jonvic” C. Remulla, Jr., Trade Secretary Ma. Cristina Aldeguer-Roque and Civil Service Commission Chairperson Marilyn B. Barua-Yap, he said. Fifteen generals and 30 Foreign Affairs officials are also up for confirmation, Mr. Pimentel said.

“We had 48 new appointees pending confirmation as of Oct. 30,” Mr. Pimentel, an assistant minority leader of the body, said.

Mr. Remulla, the younger brother of Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin C. Remulla, in October replaced Benjamin “Benhur” C. Abalos, Jr., who is eyeing a Senate seat in the 2025 midterm elections.

Ms. Roque sat as acting secretary of the Department of Trade and Industry on Aug. 2 after ex-Trade Secretary Alfredo E. Pascual resigned on Aug. 1.

Ms. Yap took her oath as chairperson of the Civil Service Commission on Oct. 25 after former head Karlo Alexei B. Nograles stepped down earlier that month to pursue his bid to become Davao City mayor. — John Victor D. Ordoñez and Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio