Government releases 69% of P5.02 trillion budget for 2022

MANILA, Philippines — The government has already released 69.4 percent of the record P5.02-trillion 2022 national budget in the first quarter of the year, according to the Department of Budget and Management (DBM).

As of end-March, data showed the budget department has released a total of P3.48 trillion.

The pace of release was slower compared to the 78 percent or P3.51 trillion of the P4.51 trillion funding for 2021 distributed in the first quarter of last year due to the slow issuance of the tax share of local governments under the new structure.

The DBM also said the government has released 86 percent (P2.87 trillion) of the P3.34 trillion in financing under the 2022 General Appropriations Act (GAA).

On the other hand, about 29 percent (P489.83 billion) of the P1.68 trillion in automatic appropriations have been issued.

For the 2022 GAA, the government has given out more than 94 percent (P2.72 trillion) of the P2.88 trillion budget for line departments.

On the contrary, only a third (P150.94 billion) of the P457.32 billion in special purpose funds have been freed up.

On automatic appropriations, the government has exceeded by P1.32 billion the P60.02 billion for retirement and life insurance premiums due to additional requirements for new hires.

Also, the government has used up 90 percent (P432,000) of the P480,000 in pension granted to former presidents or their widows.

Further, the DBM said that 73 percent (P29.98 billion) of the P41.07 billion in special account in the general fund has been issued, while over 46 percent (P6.68 billion) of the P14.5 billion in tax expenditure fund has been released.

Based on records, the DBM has only downloaded 25 percent (P239.76 billion) of the P959.04 billion in national tax allotment for local government.

Localities are slated to received increased share in government collections thanks to the implementation of the Mandanas ruling.

Similarly, the government has issued 25 percent (P16.74 billion) of the P66.96 billion in block grant and 25 percent (P7.18 billion) of the P28.7 billion in net lending.

Just a quarter was also spent from the P512.59 billion worth of interest payments allocated for this year.

Aside from the usual line items, the DBM said the government has spent P123.17 billion in other releases, the bulk of which went to unprogrammed appropriations at P81.35 billion.

Likewise, the government has issued P40.95 billion for continuing appropriations from the 2021 GAA and another P870.05 million for other automatic appropriations.