President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. signed into law Republic Act (RA) No. 11936 or the General Appropriations Act (GAA) of 2023 in a ceremony held at the Malacañan Palace on December 16, 2022.

Under the GAA, the government shall have a total of PHP5.268 trillion for programs and projects for Fiscal Year 2023. Priority sectors include education, public works, health, social welfare, agriculture, and transportation.

This is the fastest passage of the National Budget the administration has seen in recent years. President Marcos Jr. expressed his gratitude for the legislature’s strong support. He said that the timely passage of the GAA will allow the country to position itself in the new economy.

The early passage of the 2023 national budget will enable agencies to start implementing their programs and projects as early as January 2023. This is especially critical for infrastructure departments, like the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and Department of Transportation (DOTr), since construction is best done during the first six months of the year.

Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno bore witness to the ceremonial signing alongside Vice President Sara Duterte Carpio; Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri; House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez; Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin; Department of Budget and Management (DBM) Secretary Amenah Pangandaman; National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Secretary Arsenio Balisacan; Special Assistant to the President Antonio Ernesto Lagdameo Jr.; Presidential Legislative Advisor Mark Llandro Mendoza; Senate Majority Leader Joel Villanueva; Senator Juan Edgardo Angara; Senator Imee Marcos; Senator Cynthia Villar; House Majority Leader Jose Dalipe; House Deputy Speaker Aurelio Gonzales Jr.; House Minority Leader Marcelino Libanan; Representative Elizaldy Co; Representative Stella Luz Quimbo; Representative Ferdinand Alexander Marcos.

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