2025 budget release hits 96.7% at end of Sept.

THE Department of Budget and Management (DBM) said 96.7% of the 2025 budget had been released at the end of September.

In its Status of Allotment Releases report, the DBM said P6.12 trillion of the P6.33-trillion budget has been disbursed, with P206.33 billion remaining undistributed.

The releases are behind the 100% pace posted at the end of September 2024.

Of the total released, P3.55 trillion went to government agencies, for a disbursement rate of 96.3%. Their remaining balance is P136.02 billion.

Agencies with a 100% budget release rate were the Offices of the President and Vice-President, the Department of Agriculture, the Presidential Communications Office and the Commission on Audit.

The Department of Public Works and Highways, under scrutiny over corruption in infrastructure spending, had received P1.13 trillion at the end of September, equivalent to 97.8% of its P1.09 trillion full-year allocation.

Meanwhile, P1.90 trillion went to automatic appropriations and P443.30 billion to Special Purpose Funds.

Automatic appropriations include P1.03 trillion for the National Tax Allotment, P636.02 billion for interest payments, and P83.42 billion for the block grant.

The DBM said P143.39 billion was disbursed for unprogrammed appropriations.

About P101.60 billion was disbursed to support foreign-assisted projects, with P25.51 billion released for “strengthening assistance for government infrastructure and social programs.”

In addition, P10 billion was disbursed for government counterpart funding for foreign-assisted projects. — Aubrey Rose A. Inosante