MALACAÑANG will submit a proposed national budget of over P5 trillion for 2022, about 11.5 percent higher than the 2021 national budget, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque Jr. said on Tuesday, August 17, 2021.
He said the proposed budget is equivalent to 22.8 percent of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP).
The social services sector, which includes health-related services and education-related programs, will receive the biggest chunk of the proposed budget at 38.3 percent, or P1.922 trillion.
These funds will be dedicated for the implementation of the Universal Health Care Act, procurement of medical equipment for coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic response and implementation of the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education, among others.
The economic sector will receive P29.3 percent of the budget of P1.474 trillion for the government’s Build Build Build program while the general public services sector will get 17.2 percent or P862.7 billion.
The debt burden agencies will have 10.8 percent of the proposed budget at P541.3 billion and the defense sector will be given 4.5 percent, or P224.4 billion.
The government agencies, which will receive the highest allocation of the budget, are the Department of Education, State Universities and Colleges and Commission on Higher Education with P773.6 billion; Department of Public Works and Highways with P686.1 billion; Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) with P250.4 billion; Department of Health with P242 billion; Department of National Defense with P222 billion; Department of Social Welfare and Development with P191.4 billion; Department of Transportation with P151.3 billion; Department of Agriculture and National Irrigation Agency with P103.5 billion; and Department of Labor and Employment with P44.9 billion.
Roque said the Department of Budget and Management will finalize the budget proposal and will submit it for the approval of the Congress on Monday, August 23, 2021. (SunStar Philippines)