The proposed 2025 budget of P6.352 trillion is nothing to be shocked about. It reflects the long-standing bias against health and agriculture– which both got hefty declines in allocation– showing that these crucial aspects of Philippine society are apparently not in the radar of our legislators and, perhaps, even those in the executive departments.
In the proposed budget the education and transport sectors are getting higher allocations next year but not the health and agriculture sectors, which have lower allocation under the National Expenditure Program.
The Department of Budget and Management submits today the proposed budget and b ased on the briefer the 2025 NEP would give the education sector the biggest chunk at P977.6 billion, up by a percentage from the P968.9 billion it got this year, according to the briefer obtained by the Star.
The education sector comprises the Department of Education. Commission on Higher Education, Technical Education and Skills Development Authority and the state universities and colleges.
Coming next is the Department of Public Works and Highways at P900 billion, though a 10 percent reduction in the agency’s P997.9 billion in 2024, is still quite a hefty sum.
The health sector, which includes the Department of Health and the Philippine Health Insurance Corp., gets a 3.5 percent decimation in its budget from 2024’s allocation of P308.3 billion to P297.6 billion. The DBM explained that this has to do with the reduced allowances for healthcare workers and other healthcare needs with the pandemic already over and the allowances had already been paid.
Enjoying a boost of 5.9 percent is the Department of Interior and Local Government from P263 billion to P278.4 billion in 2025.
The Department of National Defense is also getting a huge increase of 6.4 percent from P240.6 billion this year to P256.1 billion in 2025.
The Department of Social Welfare and Development’s budget cut is 7.2 percent or from P248.1 billion in 2024 to P230.1 billion.
The combined budget proposed for the Department of AGriculture, its attached agencies and corporations and the Department of Agrarian REform has been slashed by 4.7 percent to P211.3 billion against this year’s budget of P221.7 billion.
The Department of Transportation’s budget was raised more than double from this year’s P73.9 billion to P180.9 billion.
The judiciary would get P63.6 billion and the Department of Justice at P40.6 billion, both higher than this year’s General Appropriations. They complete the Top 10 beneficiaries of the budget, the Star noted.
The DBP said next year’s National Expenditure Program was crafted to meet the objectives of the Philippine Development Plan 2023-2028 and support the administration’s goal of economic and social transformation.
“This budget builds on the gains of the first two years of the administration, sustaining momentum in pursuit of a prosperous, inclusive and resilient Philippines–where all Filipinos can fulfill their individual and shared aspirations,” the DBM said.
The record budget level proposed for next year is 10.1 percent above this year’s allocation of P5.768 trillion.
Next year’s budget is equivalent to 22 percent of the economy.
My take
I lament the low priority given by this administration to agriculture and health– which only reflects its low regard for the needs of the greatest number of people– particularly the farmers and fisherfolk (who produce the food we put on our tables) and the people needing medical attention and healthcare to ensure a healthy population.
Past and current administrations are showing that agriculture or producing our own food can be more than covered by importation– in fact it is the preferred solution by the government to meet all supply gaps in food accessibility and affordability over improving farmers and fisherfolks’ welfare and livelihood. To those running (in politics and policy-making) the farmers and fisherfolk only count as important when they deliver these officials to power during elections.
Insofar as health access and delivery is concerned, apparently previous and current officials could care less if people survive or perish from pest and disease outbreaks.
Truly lamentable!
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