QUEZON City, Philippines (Eagle News) – Malacañang said President Rodrigo Duterte will submit the proposed 2018 National Budget to Congress on the day of his second State of the Nation Address (SONA) on July 24.
“The President plans to submit the budget on the day of the SONA itself. Why are we doing this? So we can have an early start for the 2018,” Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno said in a Palace briefing.
The proposed budget is worth Php 3.76 trillion pesos, with the biggest allocation given to education and infrastructure.
Php 643.3 billion will be given to the Department of Public Works and Highways while Php 73.8 billion will be given to the Department of Transportation to fund the government’s “Build, Build, Build” program.
“The 2018 proposed national budget, which we proposed and the President approved, has a total of P3.767 trillion, with the biggest allocation going to education and infrastructure development,” he added.