Duterte approves P3.767 trillion nat’l budget for 2018

President Duterte (INQUIRER FILE PHOTO)

President Rodrigo Duterte has approved the proposed P3.767 trillion national budget for 2018, Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno said on Tuesday.

Diokno said Duterte approved the national budget during the 16th Cabinet meeting in Malacañang on Monday.

“I’m finalizing it now so he can submit the President’s Budget on the day of his SONA, July 24th,” he told reporters in a text message.

In a Palace briefing, Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella described the proposed national budget as “very interesting.”

“Very interesting, they said, it’s a budget that reforms and transforms,” Abella said.

“It covers medium-term macroeconomic assumptions and fiscal targets, key budget dimensions, expenditure priorities,” he added.

He said the top departments who have the biggest budget include Department of Education, SUCs and CHED; Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH); Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG); Department of Health; Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD); Department of Agriculture (DA); and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

Abella quoted Diokno saying, “the budget aims for a safer, greener, wealthier, and more beautiful country, making space for the youth, the poor, disadvantaged, and handicapped.” JE