Defense, MMDA, DICT budgets hiked; UP, SUCs, DEPED see cuts
Apart from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), several other government agencies were given an increase in the final version of the P6.352-trillion General Appropriations Bill (GAB) that was approved on Wednesday by the bicameral conference committee.
Lawmakers enlarged by almost P289 billion the budget of the DPWH to a record P1.1 trillion.
However, the Department of Education (DepEd) saw its allotment reduced by nearly P12 billion to P737 billion from the P748.6 billion approved by the House of Representatives.
The Commission on Higher Education (CHEd) and state universities and colleges (SUCs) also ended up among the biggest losers in the 2025 national budget.
Education Secretary Sonny Angara said he was saddened by the decision as “this reverses the trend in recent years where Congress adds even more to the education budget, save for one year during pandemic.”
He added in a post on X that P10 billion was cut from the proposed 2025 computerization program of DepEd “that could have funded thousands of computers/gadgets for our public school children.”
In her speech shortly before the House and the Senate ratified on Wednesday night the reconciled version of the budget in their plenary, Sen. Grace Poe said: “At the heart of our economic recovery lies our unwavering dedication to creating jobs and stimulating growth. Investing in infrastructure is very important, that’s why we have increased the funds of different agencies in relation to this.”
Poe, who defended the national spending plan as chair of the Senate finance committee, noted that the budget of the defense sector has also been increased, stressing the importance of national security.
The bicam panel gave a P271.9-billion budget to the Department of National Defense (DND), up from the P263 billion earlier approved by the House of Representatives.
“We’ve increased the funding of the DND to fund critical projects, including the Kalayaan Island sheltered port and the Pag-asa airport. These are strategic investments that underscore our commitment to asserting our territorial integrity,” Poe explained.
In the reconciled version, the soldiers’ subsistence allowance was likewise raised from P150 to P350 a day, or P10,500 a month.
Other gainers
“We honor our soldiers, the front-liners of our nation’s defense, by ensuring that they have the resources they need to fulfill their duties,” she added.
The budget of the Philippine Coast Guard was increased by P800 million to P33.2 billion “to ensure that our coastlines are patrolled and secured, safeguarding not just our territory but also the livelihoods of our beloved fisherfolk.”
The Department of Foreign Affairs also received a P500-million adjustment in its budget to P27.6 billion to “to strengthen our diplomatic missions and ensure that our country’s interests are upheld and our voice is heard in the international community,” Poe said.
She added that they have funded the operations of the courts and the social lawyering fund to ensure fast and fair attainment of justice.
“We also bolstered the fight against human trafficking and child sexual abuse as well as cybercrimes through increased funding for our justice sector,” Poe said.
The budget for the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) was also jacked up by P4 billion to P12.4 billion “to expand our digital literacy efforts so that more Filipinos are able to keep up with the ever-changing and evolving technology.”
“We did the same for the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) for better traffic management that will alleviate congestion and boost productivity in Metro Manila,” Poe said.
Focus on infrastructure
The MMDA will see an increase of P3 billion in its 2025 budget to P8.8 billion.
In a bid to support sustainable tourism programs that provide livelihood in various communities, lawmakers also approved an increase of P300 million in the budget of the Department of Tourism to P3.8 billion next year.
Poe said the National Economic and Development Authority will also be given additional funds—from the House-approved P12.29 billion to the bicam panel’s P12.35 billion—to ensure that government projects are according to a master plan that would provide jobs to millions of Filipinos.
“We recognize the growing frequency and intensity of natural disasters. Our response is more robust funding for disaster preparedness and rehabilitation. For instance, increasing the funds of the Department of Agrarian Reform shows our desire to support our farmers, especially after disasters,” Poe said.
She added that the Liwanag at Tubig Assistance Welfare, or Litaw Program, a groundbreaking initiative to restore electricity and water access for low income households in times of calamities and natural disasters, has also been funded.
The senator said the 2025 budget also ensured continuous support for social protection programs, including the building of more rural health units, Department of Health and local government hospitals, as well as new urgent care ambulatory services.
Substantial cuts
On the other hand, CHEd was allocated P33.3 billion for next year, or P3.4 billion lower than its 2024 budget of P36.7 billion, while the P122.2-billion allotment for SUCs in 2025 was P5.8 billion less than this year’s P128 billion.
Of the SUCs, the University of the Philippines system got the lion’s share with P22.7 billion, which was still P2 billion lower than its P24.8-billion budget this year.
Activists slammed the lack of transparency in the bicam conference committee report despite the public clamor to open it to the public.
“Despite the supposed public nature of the deliberation, the public was still kept in the dark on the particulars of the amendments adopted,” said Bayan chair Teddy Casino. “A genuine people’s budget should prioritize the needs of ordinary Filipinos—health, education and livelihood.”
Malacañang said on Thursday that the 2025 national budget would be enacted by President Marcos before Christmas Day.
In a statement, the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) said it was waiting for Congress to transmit the ratified version of the 2025 GAB.
“Following standard practice, the Congress-approved national budget bill will be transmitted to the Office of the President for review. The national budget for 2025 will be signed before Christmas Day,” the PCO said.
PCO Secretary Cesar Chavez earlier said the President’s signing of the proposed national budget was tentatively scheduled on Dec. 20 at 9 a.m. —WITH A REPORT FROM JULIE M. AURELIO
