DBM to recommend P3.35-T national budget for 2017

MANILA, Philippines – Budget  Secretary Benjamin Diokno announced on Thursday, July 14, that he will recommend a P3.35-trillion national budget for 2017 to President Rodrigo Duterte.

The amount is 11.6% higher than the current 2016 budget.

This will be the first budget to be approved by Congress under the Duterte administration, which assumed office on June 30.

Early preparations for the proposed 2017 president’s budget, however, was still undertaken during the Aquino administration. The budget cycle typically starts with the budget call, which, for 2017 budget, was released by the budget department in January 2016. (Read: Next president limited by Aquino admin budget for 2 years – Briones)

In a previous press briefing, Diokno, who also served as budget secretary under the administration of former President Joseph Estrada, announced that they plan to review the proposed president’s budget saying there is still “enough time” for said review.

Highlights of how the 2017 budget is shaping up, based on statements made by Diokno so far:

• Bottom-Up-Budgeting should go back to late Interior Secretary Robredo’s idea which limited it to poorest towns
• Higher public expenditures on vital infrastructure, equivalent to 5-7% of the gross domestic product (plans to have a non-stop infrastructure construction 24/7 including nights & weekends)
• The Conditional Cash Transfer Program of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) will have a budget of P54.9 billion but efforts will be made to reduce leakages
• Lawmakers will be allowed to propose projects

Diokno also vowed to curb underspending which he earlier described as “epic incompetence” on the part of the Aquino administration.

Under the Constitution, the President is required to submit to the Congress, within 30 days from the opening of every regular session, a budget of expenditures and sources of financing which serves as basis of the general appropriations bill. – Rappler.com