Are cuts, restorations allowed after 2025 budget OK’d? DBM explains

Revisions may still be made to the P6.326-trillion national budget, as long as these follow the provisions of the General Appropriations Act, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) said.

While President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. has already signed the budget bill into law, the DBM said that there are proper measures with which to make adjustments to the approved national budget. 

“Ang titignan muna diyan is, is it savings? So may definition ang savings natin, it’s either abandonment; hindi na talaga siya gagawin; or na-complete yung original project na pinaglagyan…or isa naman because of efficiency,” said DBM Assistant Secretary Mary Anne Dela Vega in Ivan Mayrina’s report in 24 Oras on Wednesday. 

(We have to check if it will be sourced from savings. Based on our definition, savings can be due to abandonment or a project will no longer push through, or the original project was already accomplished, or because of efficiency.) 

The GAA provides who can recommend or approve the adjustments in the budget whether it’s the department secretary, DBM chief, or the President. 

Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla earlier said Marcos ordered the restoration of the IT budget and the removal of the additional P500-million intelligence funds for the Philippine National Police. 

But the DBM has yet to disclose where to source the budget for PNP’s IT program and what would happen to the intelligence fund slashed from the police body. 

Aside from savings, the government can source the budget for priority projects from the contingent funds which is at P13 billion for 2025. 

A project can also be prioritized for it to be funded under the unprogrammed appropriations, which means it can be funded depending on the savings or through loans. 

“Dapat may excess revenue. So only then kung mayroong certification ang Treasury na may excess revenue then that’s the only time that we can look at the unprogrammed appropriation as the source,” said Dela Vega.

(There should be an excess revenue. So only then if the Treasury has a certification that there's excess revenue, that’s the only time that we can look at the unprogrammed appropriation as the source.) — Vince Angelo Ferreras/BM, GMA Integrated News