Duterte OKs ₱3.7-T budget

President Duterte has approved the proposed P3.757-trillion national budget for 2019 to sustain investments on infrastructure development, social services, among others.

The budget proposal, lower than this year’s ₱3.767-trillion national budget, is expected to be submitted to Congress during the President’s third State-of-the-Nation Address (SoNA) on July 23.

Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said proposed 2019 budget was discussed and approved during the Cabinet meeting convened by the President in Malacañang Monday night. According to Roque, at least

₱1.185 trillion would go to personnel services or 31.5 percent of the 2019 proposed national budget.

Other major expenses for next year are capital outlays with

₱757.7 billion; allotment to local government units, ₱640.6 billion; maintenance expenditures, ₱562.9 billion; debt burden, ₱414.1 billion; support to government owned and controlled corporations, ₱187.1 billion; and tax expenditures, ₱14.5 billion.

The Department of Budget and Management earlier announced that 2019 national budget would be an annual cash-based budget to hasten the delivery of programs and strengthen accountability.

It would shift from previous obligation-based budget to annual cash-based budget, where agencies will be allowed to incur contractual obligations and disburse payments for goods delivered and services rendered and inspected within the fiscal year, with an extended payment period of three months.

“This will effectively limit agencies to submit budget proposals reflecting payment of goods and services that will actually be delivered for the year,” the budget department earlier said.