Proposed P3.767 trillion for 2018 budget prioritizes education, infrastructure: DBM

July 14, 2017

The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) outlay for 2018 which it lays down as P3.767 trillion national budget has the biggest allocation to education and infrastructure development. The second national budget crafted under the Duterte administration represents 21.6 percent of the projected gross domestic product (GDP) for next year and is 12.4 percent higher than the 2017 budget which is P3.35 trillion. The proposed budget will continue to support the bold plans of the Duterte administration and deliver the change that the president promised, the budget department said in a statement Friday. The education sector still enjoys the highest budget allocation with a total of P691.1 billion, after the addition of budgets of Department of Education (DepEd) with P613.05 billion, Commission on Higher Education (CHED) with P13.5 billion, and State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) with P64.6 billion. This budget will be used in establishing and maintaining education facilities, hire teaching and non-teaching personnel, and develop and provide learning materials to students. The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and Department of Transportation’s (DOTr) hefty budget of P643.3 billion and P73.8 billion respectively will sustain the infrastructure program “Build, Build, Build”, improve mobility and connectivity across the entire country, and provide modern, comfortable, and affordable public transportation system to all. The Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) will receive P172.3 billion, 15.4 percent than the 2017 level, while the Department of National Defense (DND) is given P145.0 billion, a 5.5 percent increase. Budgets for the two agencies will be used in ensuring the internal security of the country and public order and safety in the communities, as well as hire additional police officers. Funds will be used to modernize the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine Coast Guard and boost the Philippine National Police’s (PNP) law enforcement operations to eradicate illegal drugs and criminality. As for budget allocation according to sector, social services will remain the recipient of the biggest budget, amounting to P1.45 trillion, or 38.5 percent of the proposed budget. The economic services sector comes second with P1.15 trillion, 30.6 percent of the proposed budget. Budget for economic services in 2018 gets an increase of 25 percent from the 2017 amount of P922 billion. The bulk of this sector’s budget will be used in infrastructure development designed to spur economic activity across the country, but most especially in rural areas. DMS