October 26, 2024 | 12:00am
MANILA, Philippines — The House of Representatives transmitted to the Senate yesterday the P6.325-trillion national budget for 2025.
House committee on appropriations chair and Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Zaldy Co said the budget includes key amendments intended to bolster social safety nets and ensure food security.
Co said the amendments include an additional P292.23 billion dedicated to assisting vulnerable sectors, such as low-income families, farmers and soldiers.
“This budget is a lifeline for those who need it most. By increasing funding for social programs, we’re addressing immediate needs while laying the groundwork for long-term resilience,” he explained.
Among the “significant” enhancements in the budget are an extra P39.8 billion allocated to the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations (AICS) and the Ayuda sa Kapos ang Kita Program (AKAP), which aim to offer financial aid to those earning P21,000 or less monthly.
The AKAP allocation for 2025 is three times higher than the previous year’s P13 billion.
Co added that education remains a priority, with an additional P30.01 billion earmarked for scholarships under the Commission on Higher Education’s Tertiary Education Subsidy and Tulong Dunong programs.
Furthermore, the Department of Education will receive P7 billion more for the construction and repair of school facilities.
The Armed Forces of the Philippines, for its part, will have P8.44 billion more in its budget for next year, as it grapples with tougher security challenges.
The increase covers an increase in the soldiers’ daily subsistence allowance by 67 percent to P250. Funds have also been earmarked for critical infrastructure projects on Pag-Asa Island.
For agriculture, P30 billion has been allotted to irrigation and cold storage projects to enhance food security. The National Irrigation Administration’s budget for next year is P44 billion higher than this year’s allocation.
Co said the House is optimisic about a swift and favorable Senate action on the proposed budget measure.
Earlier, Co announced that the chamber decided to slash some P1.3 billion from the budget of the Office of the Vice President and realigned the amount to raise the allocation for the Departments of Social Welfare and Deveopment and of Health.
Lawmakers decided to significantly cut the budget of Vice President Sara Duterte after she refused to explain at a congressional budget hearing her alleged misuse of confidential funds.
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