A responsive budget for Filipinos

Budget Sec. Amenah Pangandaman pointed out in a post-State of the Nation (SoNA) media briefing that the proposed 2023 National Budget has food security, human capital and infrastructure development as priorities, as stipulated under the Budget Priorities Framework.

“Of course, we will still continue with the ‘Build, Build, Build’ (BBB) program of the previous administration and expand [it] up to P2 trillion by 2028 for funding our infrastructure sector,” Pangandaman said.

In his first SoNA on 25 July, President Bongbong Marcos said the government should aspire to “build, better, more.”

This is welcome news since former President Duterte’s BBB program has been formulated to benefit many Filipinos, especially for the jobs it has generated.

It’s likewise a commendable

“In the past, we have seen how incoming administrations disregard projects of their predecessors, no matter how vital or relevant these may be.

decision on the part of President Marcos to continue something good. In the past, we have seen how incoming administrations disregard projects of their predecessors, no matter how vital or relevant these may be.

We see where the enhancements will come from, when Finance Sec. Benjamin Diokno assured the private sector: “As the President said, ‘The state of the economy is sound. So, my advice to the private sector is [to] trust your government. We’re behind you… Whatever comes to your imagination, you can come in… We will just provide the environment for the private sector to thrive.”

This is something exciting to look forward

to, since we have seen how noteworthy projects take off when public-private sector collaboration is encouraged and supported by the government.

It must also be mentioned that agriculture is being given the attention it sorely needs. Pangandaman said, “Kung dati, nasa bandang hulihan ng top 10 priorities

ang agriculture, ngayon, sisiguraduhin natin na nasa top 5 ito.”

She added that the government “will mechanize and use technology in their processes, all toward achieving self-sufficiency and food security and lower food prices in the country.” That is something we want to truly succeed, since all Filipinos can feel the pain of rising food prices.

President Marcos, who concurrently heads the Department of Agriculture, aims to strengthen the link between small farmers and fisherfolk with industrial -level agribusiness enterprises, while providing more efficient transport and logistics systems for goods and services, particularly in geographically-isolated and disadvantaged areas.

In the same media briefing, Pangandaman concluded: “One thing is certain — this will be a budget responsive to the needs of the Filipino people amid this continuing pandemic.”

“In his first SoNA on 25 July, President Bongbong Marcos said the government should aspire to ‘build, better, more.’