Photo courtesy of Presidential Communications Office.
MANILA — The education sector still got the lion’s share of the government allocation as President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Monday, Dec. 30, signed into law the P6.326 trillion national budget for 2025.
Based on government data, the education sector received an allocation of P1.05 trillion.
It is followed by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) at P1.007 trillion; Department of National Defense (DND), P315.1 billion; Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), P279.1 billion; Department of Health (DOH), P267.8 billion; and the Department of Agriculture at P237.4 billion.
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) had an allocation of P217.5 billion; Department of Transportation (DOTr), P123.7 billion; Judiciary, P64.0 billion; and Department of Justice (DOJ) at P 42.2 billion.
The President assured the P6.326 trillion national outlay will prioritize education and social services.
In his speech, the President said he directly vetoed provisions not responsive to the peoples’ needs. Condition implementation on certain items was also pursued to ensure public funds are utilized according to authorized purposes, he added.
The President vetoed P194 billion worth of projects which he said is “inconsistent with the administration’s programmed priorities.”
Among those given direct veto by the President based on the recommendations of the Department of Budget and Management include some of the programs and projects of the DPWH classified under “Unprogrammed Appropriations.”
In vetoing P26.06 billion DPWH programs, the President said they are not consistent with the infrastructure program of the government. He said they were carefully considered taking into account the urgency, implementation-readiness, and absorptive capacity of the implementing agency.
With regard to the Unprogrammed Appropriations, it should be noted that expenditures should generally be within the parameters of programmed resources envisioned by fiscal planners. (PND)
