Both Houses of Congress ratified the bicameral committee report of the proposed 2023 national budget on Monday.

The House of Representatives approved the bicam report on the proposed P5.268 billion budget followed by the Senate, where only Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel III and Senator Risa Hontiveros dissented out of 24 senators.

Earlier, the bicameral conference committee approved the report at the Manila Golf and Country Club.

Of the P5.268 trillion national budget, the Department of Education(DepEd) was allocated the highest budget at P852.8 billion for the safe implementation of face-to-face classes and addressing the gaps in education facilities.

DepEd was also able to retain its P150 million confidential and intelligence funds.

AKO Bicol Partylist Rep. Elizaldy Co, chairman of the House Committee on approriations, said: ''We at the House and the bicam added more funds...for social services, including government hospitals.''

Co said the Libreng Sakay program was funded under the 2023 proposed budget, but he did not say how much.

The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) got the second highest outlay with P718.4 billion and the Department of Health (DOH), third, with P296.3 billion.

For the sectoral allocation, social services received the largest allocation at P2,070.7 billion.

The economic services sector received the second-largest share at P1,528.5 billion, followed by the general public services sector at P807.2 billion.

The budget bill is expected to be signed by President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. before Congress goes on recess in December 16. Jaspearl Tan/DMS