MANILA: The Marcos administration put a premium on the agriculture, infrastructure, and the health care sectors, appropriating a huge chunk of the 2022 funding for the development of the priority areas, based on the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) yearend report.
The 2022 DBM accomplishment report showed that the Marcos administration earmarked a significant percentage of the country’s annual gross domestic product (GDP) to improve infrastructure, said Undersecretary Cheloy Garafil, officer-in-charge of the Office of the Press Secretary (OPS), in a statement on Saturday.
“Highlighting its 2022 budget priorities, the DBM said in its report that the Marcos administration allotted five to six percent of the GDP to infrastructure projects under “Build Better More” programs,” Garafil said.
This year’s infrastructure spending was in line with the commitment made by Marcos in his first State of the Nation Address on July 25 to allocate five to six percent of the country’s GDP for infrastructure projects.
DBM also doubled the allocation for major agricultural and fishery programs, the report stated.
Garafil said the DBM likewise released over PHP44 million to cover the funding requirements for the development of the Marawi City General Hospital in Lanao del Sur while the Special Allotment Release Order to the Department of Health-Northern Mindanao Center for Health Development in Cagayan de Oro will improve health care services.
Digitalization efforts
To fulfill the digital transformation goal, the DBM expanded its Action Document Releasing System (ADRS) and carried out the Unified Reporting System Encoding to its regional offices.
“The budget department digitalized the Public Financial Management Program and the Learning Management System,” Garafil said.
The DBM likewise inked a memorandum of agreement with Government Servicing Banks on the online release of the Notice of Cash Allocation in the ADRS and worked with local government units for enhanced Public Financial Management Assessment Tool.
Plans for 2023
For next year, the DBM allocated a hefty amount for climate-related expenditures.
“To mitigate the impact of climate change, the agency backed the Department of Environment and Natural Resources’ National Greening Program and the Department of Energy’s Renewable Energy Development Program,” Garafil said.
The DBM priority legislative agenda include the Progressive Budgeting for Better and Modernized Governance Bill, Budget and Treasury Management System (centralized database that will facilitate the generation of vital information), National Government Rightsizing Program, and Maharlika Investment Fund
Source: Philippines News Agency
