OF the Philippine government’s proposed P3.002-trillion national budget for 2016, P829.6 billion or 27.64% will be allocated for economic services, the bulk of which will be spent on transport and communications infrastructure development.
President Benigno Aquino III, through the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), submitted to Congress the proposed budget for next year that is 15.2% higher than the 2015 enacted budget of P2.606 trillion.
Transportation and communications infrastructure will get the bulk of the economic services budget to bring expenditures in infrastructure development to 5% of the gross domestic product (GDP).
As such, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) will receive P391.2 billion to complete the pavement of all national arterial and secondary roads, DBM said.
The Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) will get P49.3 billion, 17% lower than the P59.4-billion budget allocated this year.
Among next year’s priorities is the paving of 31,242 kilometers of national roads and making all temporary bridges permanent.
The budget also supports provision of services by the Light Rail Transits 1 and 2, the Metro Rail Transit, and Philippine National Railways.
In order to propel the resurgence of the manufacturing sector, which is deemed a national priority, the government will put up 69 more Go Negosyo Centers, provide sales and trading assistance to 2,150 firms, and electrify 3,150 sitios.
The biggest budget goes to social services with an allocation of P1.1059 trillion, 36.8% of the proposed overall budget and covers education, health care, housing, and social welfare and employment. DBM said the proposed allocation supports implementation of the Department of Education’s (DepEd) K-12 program, as well as the funding of housing programs and health care projects for poor Filipinos.
Of all the government’s departments, DepEd received the largest proposed budget of P435.9 billion, up 15.4% from P377.7 billion this year.
Defense, meanwhile, received a proposed allocation of P129.1 billion, 11.5% higher than this year’s allocation. This suggested allotment will fund modernization of the Armed Forces of the Philippines in light of territorial disputes in the West Philippine Sea.
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