Education gets ₧27.2-B share in BARMM’S ₧85.3-B ’23 budget

DAVAO CITY—THE Bangsamoro Parliament approved on Tuesday an P85.3 billion for the region, with education, public works and health getting the priority expenditures for next year.

The Bangsamoro Parliament approved the Bangsamoro Transition Authority Bill No. 54, known as the Bangsamoro Expenditure Program for 2023, with the Ministry of Basic, Higher and Technical Education getting close to one third of the budget, at P27.2 billion to finance its focus on science and technology, scholarships, improving the madrasah system and supporting “learning continuity” programs.

The 2023 BARMM budget was approved with 44 affirmative votes, zero negative votes and zero abstentions.

The budget approval was arrived at following marathon hearings, even as the Committee on Finance, Budget, and Management has been deliberating the proposed budgets of all the ministries and agencies since September.

“The CFBM truly underwent marathon hearings and scrutinized the proposed budgets of all ministries and offices to ensure that the budget is for the Bangsamoro people,” said Member of Parliament Eduard Guerra, chairman of the committee.

“Following this approval, we will move forward with the implementation of all projects and programs in the provinces of the region, including the Special Geographic Area,” he added.

The budget increased to P85.3 billion in 2023 from P79.8 billion in 2022.

The Bangsamoro Government allocated P70.1 billion for all of the ministries, agencies, and offices, while P15.2 billion is allotted for Special Purpose Funds.

The top 10 ministries and offices with the biggest budget allocation were as follows:

■ Ministry of Basic, Higher, and Technical Education-p27.2 billion;

■ Ministry of Public Works— P16.4 billion;

■ Office of the Chief Ministerp5.9 billion;

■ Ministry of Health-p5.8 billion;

■ Bangsamoro Transition Authority—p3.9 billion;

■ Ministry of Social Servicesp3.07 billion;

■ Ministry of Interior and Local Government—p2.04 billion;

■ Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Agrarian Reform—p1.5 billion;

■ Ministry of Environment, Natural Resources, and Energy—p666 million; and

■ Ministry of Transportation and Communications—p539 million.

The MBHTE said it would invest in human resource development, skills training, learning continuity programs and advancing science, technology and innovation through the madaris system.

The budget also gave higher support to develop “a reliable and resilient infrastructure system” such as road network development, bridge construction, flood management, water supply, port rehabilitation and other infrastructure programs.

The BARMM said it would promote social protection and implement the Universal Health Care to improve “the responsiveness and timeliness of social protection in order to reduce vulnerability to economic, social, and environmental shocks and disasters.”

The Ministry of Social Services and Development has been allocated P3 billion for next year to ensure that “women, children, senior citizens, differently-abled individuals, indigenous cultural communities, internally displaced persons, and those similarly situated by analogy will be prioritized.”