Education gets P852-B in proposed 2023 budget; allocation for agri rises by 39.2%

MANILA, Philippines — The education sector still has the largest share in the proposed 2023 national budget with P852.8 billion, while the allocation for the agriculture sector rose by 39.2 percent compared to last year, according to the Department of Budget and Management (DBM).

In a briefing after DBM turned over the proposed 2023 budget to the House of Representatives on Monday, Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman said that the focus on the social services sector would be on healthcare and the safe reopening of face-to-face classes — hence the big budget for the education sector.

The proposed budget for the education sector — composed of the Department of Education (DepEd), state university and colleges (SUCs), Commission on Higher Education (Ched), Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda) — is higher than 2022 approved General Appropriations Act which was at P788.5 billion.

The proposed 2023 budget, first under the term of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., is a record P5.268 trillion.

“To reduce the vulnerability and mitigate the scarring from the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare, social services, and safe reopening of face-to-face classes are our top priority.  Abiding by the Constitution and reflecting the President’s commitment to invest in human capital development and empower the youth, the education sector will receive the highest allocation,” Pangandaman said.

“With the DepEd’s allocation, we hope to finally resume face-to-face classes to ensure holistic learning.  We will achieve this through the construction of new classrooms and education facilities under the basic education facilities program, with P9.8 billion,” she added.

Meanwhile, the agriculture sector’s P184.1 billion proposed budget is an increase from the P132.2 billion approved budget for 2022 — which Pangandaman said is a testament to the President’s commitment to food security.

“To strengthen the purchasing power of Filipinos, we will aim for food security, improved transportation, and affordable and clean energy.  The agriculture sector would receive a substantial increase of 39.2 percent year on year with a total proposed budget of P184.1 billion for the strengthening of its banner programs and irrigation services, to ensure security and agricultural productivity,” she said.

“To achieve this, higher allocations are proposed for the National Rice Program with P30.5 billion, to help maintain the price of rice at affordable levels, and for the production of other vital agricultural commodities,” she added.

Infrastructure projects would get the second-highest budget share at P718.4 billion, followed by the health sector at P296.3 billion, and then social protection at P197.0 billion.

Regarding budget dimensions, social services, which include education and agriculture, get the highest slice at 39.31 percent of the P5.268 trillion proposal.

Economic services are next at 29.01 percent or P1.528 trillion, followed by the following sectors:

• General public services (15.32 percent, P807.2 billion)
• Debt burden (11.59 percent, P611.0 billion)
• Defense (4.76 percent, P250.7 billion)

Earlier, House officials led by House Speaker and Leyte 1st District Rep. Ferdinand Martin Romualdez formally received the budget from DBM and Pangandaman.

This DBM’s move to hand in the budget on Monday means the executive branch fulfilled its promise of handing over Congress the budget on August 22 — within the timeline set by the 1987 Constitution.

Recently, Majority leaders in the House said that they are confident that the budget would be passed before Congress goes into a recess by October.

je/abc