Duterte Seeks ₱5.024 Trillion Budget In Final Year In Office

President Duterte will propose at least ₱5 trillion national budget before his term ends.

- Chino S. Leyco

The Development Budget Coordination Committee (DBCC), an inter-agency body tasked to set the macroeconomic targets of the country, approved late Monday, a ₱5.024-trillion expenditure ceiling for 2022.

According to the DBCC, the 2022 National Expenditure Program, which will be submitted to Congress once it resumes session, is 11.5 percent higher than the ₱4.506 trillion general appropriations this year.

Of the proposed 2022 budget, the executive department earmarked ₱1.29 trillion for infrastructure projects, equivalent to 5.8 percent of the country’s economy, or gross domestic product (GDP).

The DBCC, mainly led by the finance, budget and economic planning secretaries, said the approved national budget will continue to invest in building the country’s resilience amid the pandemic.

In particular, the inter-agency body said the government will prioritize funding for COVID-19 response measures, such as healthcare development and social services, while also ramping up economic growth through investments in public infrastructure.