PRESIDENT Benigno Aquino III, through the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), submitted on Wednesday the government's proposed P2.606-trillion 2015 national budget to Congress.
The administration's proposed expenditure program for 2015 is 15.1 percent higher from the current year's P2.265-trillion budget, representing 18.4 percent of the country's gross domestic product (GDP) and reflecting the jump in the Administration's growth assumption of 7.0-8.0 percent for 2015.
"Our proposed spending program is an expression of the President's unerring commitment to bring inclusive socio-economic development to the people," Budget Secretary Florencio "Butch" Abad said.
Social services continue to take the lion's share of the proposed 2015 budget, attesting to the administration's continuing pursuit of its antipoverty goals. Social protection and welfare services — which include the provision of basic education and universal health care — account for 37.1 percent of the proposed expenditure program, with P967.9 billion now devoted to the sector.
This amount is 15 percent higher than the P841.8 billion that currently supports social services under the 2014 national budget, and will allow the administration to strengthen its K-12 program, as well as the Universal Health and Conditional Cash Transfer programs, Abad said.
Economic services are still a major mover in the President's inclusive growth campaign, with the 2015 proposed budget directing P700.2 billion towards this sector, he said. This comprises 4.9 percent of the country's GDP and accounts for 27 percent of the expenditure program for the next fiscal year.
At least P339.4 billion in funds will go towards various infrastructure programs, including the construction of national roads and integrated transport systems nationwide.
For next year's proposed budget, the government has also earmarked P423.1 billion for general services; P115.5 billion for defense sector, P26.5 billion for net lending, and P372.9 billion for interest payments.
The top 10 departments, which have the largest allocations include Department of Education (P364.958 billion), Department of Public Works and Highways (P300.519 billion), Department of National Defense (P144.036 billion), Department of Interior and Local Government (P141.423 billion), Department of Social Welfare and Development (P108.970 billion), Department of Health (P102.178 billion), Department of Agriculture (P88.818 billion) Department of Transportation and Communications (P59.463 billion), Department of Environment and Natural Resources (P21.290 billion), and the Judiciary (P20.285 billion). (SDR/Sunnex)
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