The Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) increase 8.4% National Tax allotment (NTA) for the FY 2024

In full force, Department of Budget and Management (DBM) officials announced on the first media briefing on National Expenditure Program held in the office of the Department of Budget and Management last August 7, 2023.

According to DBM Secretary Amenah Pangandaman the National Tax Allotment of 74.35 B verses 80.6 B the increase of 8.4%.

In the press conference, media asked about the agencies in government with increases or decreased budget it turned out that even though the Marcos Jr. Administration often talk about digitalization the budget of the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) decreased.

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𝗕𝘂𝗱𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗱𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗰𝗹𝗶𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝗷𝘂𝗺𝗽𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗣𝟱𝟰𝟯.𝟰 𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗼𝗻; 𝘄𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝘂𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆, 𝘀𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗴𝘆, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝘀𝗲𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗮𝗺𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗳𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴

The proposed 2024 National Expenditure Program (NEP) demonstrates the government’s commitment to addressing the impacts of climate change, with a substantial allocation of P543.4 billion set aside to mitigate the repercussions of severe weather patterns, such as intense typhoons and worsening floods, within the Philippines.

Department of Budget and Management (DBM) Secretary Amenah F. Pangandaman underscored that the allocation of PHP 543.45 billion for climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies constitutes 9.4 percent of the total proposed budget. This figure surpasses the anticipated 8.0 percent contribution stipulated in the Philippine Development Plan.

“Recognizing its fundamental importance, the bulk of climate change expenditures will be allocated for water sufficiency projects with Php 294.46 billion to benefit communities all over the country,” the Budget Secretary said.

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., in his 2024 Budget Message, highlighted the administration’s endeavors in tackling climate change, further reinforcing this crucial national initiative.

“With global temperatures reaching record highs, with floods and droughts that displace millions, we have made future-proofing a top priority of this Administration to address climate change. In fact, for FY 2023, the allocation for this purpose was increased by over 60 percent to P464.5 billion. For FY 2024, this has been increased even further to reach P543.4 billion. Of this amount, P168.6 billion will be allotted for mitigation, while P374.9 billion will be for climate adaptation,” the President emphasized.

The government prioritizes adaptation measures due to the country’s vulnerability to the impacts of climate change. This is the main strategy outlined in the National Climate Change Action Plan (NCCAP).

𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗰 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀

The NCCAP’s list of strategic priority areas, which will receive allocations from the P543.4 billion climate change expenditures in the 2024 NEP, includes:

-Water Sufficiency (streamlining of water governance structure, improving sanitation in infrastructures), P294.46 billion;
-Sustainable Energy (promotion and expansion of energy efficiency and conservation, development of sustainable and renewable energy and transport), P180.72 billion;
-Food Security (climate-resilient crop and livestock production systems and technologies, early warning systems), P40.18 billion;
-Knowledge and Capacity Development, 12.97 billion;
-Climate Smart Industries and Services, P6.02 billion;
-Ecosystem and Environmental Stability, P5.95 billion;
-Human Security, P2.58 billion;
-Cross-Cutting, P550 million

𝗗𝗕𝗠’𝘀 𝗰𝗹𝗶𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝗯𝘂𝗱𝗴𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺𝘀

The DBM and the Climate Change Commission (CCC) have institutionalized Climate Change Expenditure Tagging (CCET), which provides guidelines for tracking and reporting government agencies’ climate-related budgets.

The CCET has been helping government agencies and local government units (LGUs) plan their respective climate-and-disaster responsive budgets.

Moreover, the DBM has adopted the Program Convergence Budgeting (PCB) into the allocation process. The PCB is a budgeting approach that utilizes government resources for key programs and projects in coordination with attached departments and agencies.

One of PCB’s undertakings is the Risk Resiliency Program (RRP) which aims to reinforce the government’s crisis management and adaptive capabilities. With a proposed budget of P424 billion, the program is expected to adapt to and mitigate the damaging effects of climate change and disasters in the country.

The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH)—which will receive the highest climate change expenditure budget at P308.08 billion—will also get P215.643 billion for flood management, which includes the construction, rehabilitation, and maintenance of various flood mitigation and control structures, as well as for water supply/septage and rainwater collection infrastructure.

“Under the DPWH project, there’s a flagship project called Flood Management Program. This year, we have a budget of P185 billion, and for 2024, we proposed P215.643 billion,” Secretary Pangandaman said, adding that two other projects will be supported by a loan from Korea Eximbank, the credit agency of South Korea.

Other proposed allocations include P1.397 billion for the Pampanga Integrated Disaster and Risk Resiliency Project; P7.4 billion for the Bulacan Angat Water Transmission Project; and over P1 billion for the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority’s (MMDA) flood control initiatives.

𝗤𝘂𝗶𝗰𝗸 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗲 𝗙𝘂𝗻𝗱

A separate P7.425 billion allocation for the Quick Response Fund (QRF) will go to “first-responder agencies” during calamities and disasters such as typhoons, earthquakes, and fires:

-Department of Education (DepEd), P3 billion;
-Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), 1.250 billion;
-DPWH, P1 billion;
-Department of Agriculture (DA), P1 billion;
-Department of National Defense (DND), P500 million;
-Department of Health (DOH), P500 million;
-Department of Transportation-Philippine Coast Guard (DOTr-PCG), P75 million;
-Department of Interior and Local Government
-Bureau of Fire (DILG-BFP), P50 million;
-DILG- Philippine National Police (DILG-PNP), P50 million

Under the law, once their QRF dips to 50 percent or less, these agencies may request the DBM, subject to the President’s approval, for a replenishment via the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Fund (NDRRMF), which has an allotment of P31 billion.

Aside from the aforementioned funds, there’s also the Local Government Support Fund (LGSF). Under Republic Act (RA) No. 11936, Special Provision No. 1 of the LGSF in the FY 2023 General Appropriations Act (GAA), provides the amount of P1,925,500,000 for financial assistance to LGUs and P7,236,336,000 as support for Capital Outlays and Social Programs to LGUs.