DBM says it was ‘unaware’ of insertions in 2025 national budget

The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) on Monday said it was unaware of billions of pesos worth of fund insertions in the P6.326 trillion national budget for fiscal year 2025. 

This was after the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) questioned the billions worth of insertions in the budget of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) under the National Expenditure Program for 2025. 

“I think that’s why we have this problem, huge problem. Because really the insertions is not just P271 (billion) but an additional of about P200 (billion) from the NEP that was submitted by the DPWH,” ICI Commissioner and former DPWH Secretary Rogelio Singson said during the ICI hearing.

“So it’s really disappointing that nobody flagged this early into the present. Because many of those under the carved out and additional should have really been vetoed instead of P26 billion,” he added. 

In response, Department of Budget and Management (DBM) Acting Secretary Rolando Toledo said they are clueless on such insertions. 

“It’s unfortunate on our part that we don’t know actually those insertion coming from the legislator. Because it’s a process that is done by the legislative level,” he said.

Questions over the insertions in the DPWH budget for 2025 were raised when ICI Commissioner Rossana Fajardo asked Toledo how much was vetoed in the national budgets for previous years.

Toledo said around P26 billion worth of projects under the DPWH’s budget were vetoed in the 2025 national budget. 

“For this 2025 budget, we have vetoed some items. For the DPWH, that is around P26 to P27 billion was vetoed upon recommendation of the DBM. But of course, with the identification and coordination with the DPWH who identified what are those projects that should be vetoed,” he said. 

In December 2024, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. vetoed P26 billion worth of projects under the DPWH for fiscal year 2025 as these were not aligned with the government’s 8-Point Socioeconomic Agenda.

When Fajardo asked for the items that should be vetoed, Singson intervened.

“The P26 billion vetoed is only less than 10% of the P271 billion that was inserted in 2025. Because the total insertion in 2025 alone was P271 billion,” Singson said.

Fajardo then asked Toledo if the DBM should have been more proactive.

“In terms of preparation, we are supposed to be on top of it. But in terms of legislation, we are just reactive. Of course, we depend on the wisdom of the legislators, but as to the preparation, yes, we are on top of that,” Toledo replied. — JMA, GMA Integrated News