Social services sector, including health and education, has biggest allocation at P1.922 trillion
(Eagle News) – Malacanang is set to submit to Congress on Monday, Aug. 23, the proposed P5.024 trillion budget for next year.
Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said that the 2022 National Expenditure Program at P5.024 trillion is the highest budget in the country’s history.
“Ang proposed budget para sa susunod na taon ay nasa 5.024 trillion – ang pinakamataas na budget sa ating kasaysayan,” he said.
“Sa ngayon ay pina-finalize na po at pini-print ang fiscal year 2022 National Expenditure Program or NEP at target na maisumite ito sa Kongreso sa Lunes, August 23, 2021.”
The social services sector will get the highest slice of the pie at P1.922 trillion. This will fund services related to health – such as the Universal Health Care, purchase of COVID-19 vaccines and PPEs – and education. This is 38.3 percent of the national budget.
Next is the economic services sector which will receive P1.474 trillion, or 29.3 percent of the proposed budget. This is 11.4 percent higher than the budget for this in 2021. This will include funding for the “Build, Build, Build” projects of the Duterte administration.
Roque said that the general public services sector would have an allocation of 862.7 billion or 17.2 percent of the entire budget.
The defense sector will have an allocation of P224.4 billion or 4.5 percent of the budget pie, while debt burden would get P541.3 billion or 10.8 percent of the of the national budget.
In terms of department allocations, the Department of Education (DepEd), Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and state universities and colleges (SUCs) will have the highest allocation at P773.6 billion.
Other government departments will have the following allocations: Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), P686.1 billion; Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), P250.4 billion; Department of Health (DOH), P242 billion; Department of National Defense, P222 billion; Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), P191.4 billion; Department of Treasury (DoTr). P151.3 billion; Department of Agriculture (DA) and National Irrigation Authority, P103.5 billion; and Department of Labor and Employment, P44.9 billion.
(Eagle News Service)