DBM: Health, food security, infra among priorities in 2021 budget

MANILA, Philippines — Health, food security, and infrastructure are among the government’s priorities in its proposed 2021 budget, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) said Wednesday.

“The priority of the government as far as moving forward is basically one, is to focus on the health sector — establishing more health facilities, purchasing necessary hospital equipment, test kits, and COVID-19 vaccine. Implementation of Universal Health Care law,” DBM assistant secretary Rolando Toledo said during a pre-State of the Nation Address forum.

Toledo added that food security is also a priority of the government in next year’s budget.

“This is to ensure the unhampered movement of agricultural goods and services through efficient transport and logistics system. And also to intensify provision of farm machinery and equipment to farmers’ enterprises for their modernization,” he said.

The Duterte administration’s “Build, Build, Build” program is also among the priorities in the budget, Toledo added as he noted the focus on constructing more “health-related facilities, digital infrastructure, logistic infrastructure.”

Furthermore, Toledo said industry and livelihood are also a priority to help micro, small, and medium enterprises to cope with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“And of course patuloy natin susuportahan ang programa ng ating edukasyon lalo na po with this new blended learning,” he went on.

DBM Secretary Wendel Avisado earlier disclosed that it has proposed a P4.3 trillion national budget for 2021.

JE