DBM proposes P4.3T nat’l budget for 2021

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has proposed a P4.3 trillion national budget for 2021, an amount slightly higher than the national budget for 2020.

Speaking at the Laging Handa briefing, Budget Secretary Wendel Avisado said the department hopes to be able to submit the budget proposal to the President by second week of August, after which it will be transmitted to Congress for deliberations.

“Ang ating proposed budget for next year at nasa P4.3 trillion. Tumaas ito bahagya,” he said.

“Lahat ng ito ay nakatuon sa priorities ng national government, in line pa rin with our desire to precisely continue to combat this pandemic and also to provide the kind of programs and activities and projects for our people, lalo na higit yung nawawalan ng hanapbuhay at trabaho. Nang sa ganon mayroon silang mapagkukunan,” he added.

Avisador said that next year’s budget will focus on labor-intensive projects and activities “to give income opportunities to the most vulnerable and to the most affected sector and workers both in public and private sector.”

Earlier, Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano revealed that the House of Representatives asked the Executive branch for a bigger 2021 budget to be able to address the impact of the coronavirus pandemic plaguing the country this year.

“I will tell you now, the House is asking Malacañang not to peg the budget at the 2020 level. Dapat taasan ng kaunti kasi kailangan ng stimulus,” he said in an earlier interview.

The government has spent P355 billion for its COVID-19 response — P274 billion of which was sourced from savings and realigned budgets, while P96 billion were from unprogrammed appropriations.

Transistor radios

Avisado further said Wednesday that DBM will procure transistor radios for students in far-flung areas which they could use as the country shifts to “blended” learning methods amid the coronavirus pandemic.

President Rodrigo Duterte earlier said the government would distribute radios to poor students, who have no access to the internet or television. These radios, according to Duterte, may be used by those students for their studies.

“Ito po ay sigurado po ang tulong DBM dito dahil una, ito ang instruction ng ating Pangulo,” Avisado said.

(The DBM will help in this endeavor because it is the instruction of the President.)

“Makakaasa po ang ating mga kabataan, lalo na iyong mga nasa malalayong lugar na magsisikap po talaga ang pamahalaan na kahit sa ating sitwasyon ngayon ay makapag-aral kayo at the same time malayo naman kayo sa peligro dahil nga dito sa pandemyang ito,” he added.

(Students, especially in far-flung areas, can be assured that the government will work hard so that they could continue studying while at the same time spare them from harm because of this prevailing pandemic.)

On Tuesday, the Philippines registered its highest coronavirus infection to date with record 1,150 new cases, bringing the total number of confirmed cased to 31,825, with 8,442 recoveries and 1,186 fatalities.

EDV