I vote “yes” to House Bill No. 4488 for the following reasons:

1. A General Appropriations Act is necessary for the operations of the Government and the provisions of basic social and economic services for our people, particularly the disadvantaged, marginalized, and those far behind, however deficient the budgetary allocations are.

2. A speedy approval of the GAB is critical to avoid the reenactment of the Fiscal Year 2022 GAA because a reenactment is too advantageous for the Chief Executive who would have at his disposal two budgets – the reenacted 2022 GAA and the eventual 2023 GAA.

3. Amendments have been effected appropriating adequate funding for the following:

   1. Education for special children;

   2. Sitio electrification;

   3. Prevention and treatment of cancer, particularly breast cancer;

   4. Libreng Pasahe Program;

   5. Pantawid Pasada Program;

   6. Construction of the Freedom Memorial Museum in honor of the sacrifices and heroism of the human rights violation victims during the martial law regime;

   7. Augmentation of the 2023 budget for the Commission on Human Rights; and

   8. Provision of a separate heading for reproductive health and family planning to underscore their importance.

4. Judiciousness and frugality will be observed in the allocation of Confidential and Intelligence Funds.