00:00Good evening Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. President Bongbong Marcos has already signed the more than P6 trillion national fund in 2025.
00:12It is lower than the first one approved in the BICAM after he vetoed the nearly P200 billion worth of projects.
00:21The controversial fund of ACAP or the aid for Kaposangkita remained in the national budget.
00:27But the conditions are tight for this. Ivan Mayerina is on the scene.
00:35The signed 2025 General Appropriations Act or the budget for the next year is P6.326 trillion.
00:43It is lower than the P26 billion approved by the Bicameral Committee of the Senate and the House of Representatives.
00:48The President did not approve the P26 billion worth of projects under the DPWH that was added by the Congress in their version.
00:57Also, the P168 billion worth of unprogrammed appropriations.
01:02After an exhaustive and thorough review, we have directly vetoed over P194 billion worth of the line items that are not consistent with our program priorities.
01:14These include allocations for certain programs and projects of the Department of Public Works and Highways,
01:19and those under the unprogrammed appropriations which increased by 300%.
01:25Under the DPWH, it is now clear that the allocation of funds for the education sector is the largest according to Palacio.
01:35This is one of the reasons why the budget of the Bicam was approved.
01:39It is contrary to the Constitution which states that the largest budget should be for education.
01:45Under the P6.326 trillion budget, 1.055 trillion or 16.69% is for education,
01:54including the funds of CHED, TESDA, State Universities and Colleges,
01:58and will be a part of the fund for the higher tuition fees and the construction of classrooms.
02:03There is an increase of more than P10 billion for the computerization program of the DepEd,
02:08and it will not be returned.
02:09But according to the DBM, this is one of the priorities for the allocation of funds under the unprogrammed appropriations.
02:15Under the budget, we have certain funds that we can augment our budget.
02:23For example, the unprogrammed appropriations, as long as we have additional revenue from the DOF,
02:30we can actually augment or increase the budget of DepEd, specifically for computerization.
02:361.007 trillion or 15.93% is the final budget for the DPWH.
02:43The projects that have been vetoed are actually some of the projects that we consider that are not totally supportive
02:53to the eight-point socioeconomic agenda of the government, of this administration.
02:59And besides, I think many of these projects are projects that need to be scrutinized and ready for implementation.
03:12These are some of the projects that are not ready for implementation.
03:15Meanwhile, aside from DepEd and DPWH, more than 4% is allocated for the Department of National Defense,
03:21Interior of Local Government, and Health.
03:24More than 3% is allocated for the Department of Agriculture and Department of Social Welfare and Development.
03:29More than 1% is allocated for Transportation and Judiciary.
03:33Less than 1% for Justice, Labor and Employment, and 42% for other departments.
03:39It was not vetoed, but the conditions for the issuance of funds for the controversial fund of ACAP
03:45or aid for the end of income of DSWD, DOLE, and NEDA, which was allocated 26 billion pesos.
03:52I am saying this because the aid should not go to the congresses and their pork barrel can only be used.
03:59We are compelled to subject the implementation of the aid for the end of income program or ACAP
04:06to the convergence efforts of the DSWD, DOLE, and NEDA.
04:11This way, we ensure that its implementation will be strategic,
04:18leading to the long-term improvement of the lives of qualified beneficiaries
04:23while guarding against misuse and duplication and fragmented benefits.
04:29Aside from ACAP, there are 11 other projects that will be held.
04:33The Zero Subsidy in PhilHealth, which was also one of the projects in the budget of the BICAM,
04:38has not been returned and remains zero.
04:40But there is nothing to worry about because PhilHealth's service will not only continue, but will expand
04:46despite the government's Zero Subsidy.
04:48The corporate operating budget of PhilHealth is sufficient.
04:52So they have reserved funds of roughly 280 billion.
04:57We in the Department of Finance, next year, will focus on PhilHealth.
05:01We will make sure that we spend the budget better.
05:06Maybe we should concentrate on the top 10 illnesses.
05:09I don't think you have to increase 9,000 case rates.
05:12The Office of the President included 5.2 billion pesos in the budget.
05:16But it was reserved for the start of preparations for the hosting of the ASEAN Summit of the Philippines in 2026.
05:22For GMA Integrated News, Ivan Mayrina, for Tutok, 24 hours.
05:31.
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