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Ten percent budget hike for 2025: Minority Leader Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III, during the period of interpellation, scrutinizes the proposed P6.352-trillion 2025 national budget sponsored by Sen. Grace L. Poe, chairperson of the Committee on Finance. During Thursday’s budget deliberations, November 7, 2024, Pimentel questioned the 10 percent increase in the 2025 national budget compared to the 2024's P5.768-trillion. “Our 2025 proposed budget is 10 percent higher than the 2024. May we know what cause the increase and how come it reached 10 percent?” Pimentel asked. “Some of them are conscious decision of the government to increase the amount of the programs but some of them really increase the operation expenses such as the hospitals, salary, among others. Is that the reason?” he added. In response, Sen. Poe said the allocation for education sector, health programs, infrastructure projects, new laws and government salary increases are some of the reasons for the 10 percent budget increase for 2025. (Senate Public Relations and Information Bureau)