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Congress on Monday ratified the bicameral conference report on the P5.768 trillion 2024 national budget.

Senate Minority Leader Koko Pimentel was the only lawmaker in the upper chamber who opposed the ratification of the bicam report of the General Appropriations bill.

Meanwhile, Makabayan House lawmakers Gabriela Partylist Rep. Arlene Brosas and ACT Teachers Partylist Rep. France Castro voted no.

The bicameral conference committee report, which was approved Monday morning, reconciled the conflicting provisions of the House and Senate versions of the budget bill.

Senator Sonny Angara, chairperson of the upper chamber’s Finance committee, said that no civilian agencies were provided confidential funds.

He added that the P9 billion in intelligence funds were allocated to security agencies.

Angara said the Philippine Coast Guard received an additional P2 billion while the Department of Information and Communications Technology was given funds to fight cybercrime.

He said the increase in the budget of the defense sector was in line with the orders of Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri to support them.

He added that the national budget for next year also supports agencies involved in the peace process and reconciliation.

“The increase in the budgets for the Marawi Compensation Board and Marawi Compensation Fund will also remain, in line with the statement of Deputy Minority Leader and Vice Chairperson (Risa) Hontiveros,” he said.

He also said Education is the top priority for next year’s budget, especially with the country’s low performance in the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA).

According to Angara, the national budget also supports efforts of self-reliance in agriculture “not only to raise the incomes of our farmers and fisherfolk, but also to ensure our food security.” Jaspearl Tan/DMS