Marcos Jr. submits his first budget proposal to Congress

MANILA, Philippines — The Marcos Jr. administration on Monday submitted to Congress its first ever budget proposal for 2023 that, government officials said, was “designed to withstand future risks, challenges and shocks”.

The new spending plan amounting to P5.268 trillion for next year is 4.9% higher than this year’s outlay, the Department of Budget and Management said in a statement. The amount was unchanged from the proposal that was prepared by the previous Duterte administration, which said the new government should stick to that budget ceiling “for prudent fiscal management.”

The submission of next year’s national budget comes at a critical time for a country looking to break ground on its recovery from the pandemic while managing high levels of debt and a large fiscal deficit. That said, passing the proposed budget on time is of paramount importance as the government could not afford to operate on a re-enacted outlay next year.

Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman said the budget will prioritize education, infrastructure development, health, agriculture and social safety nets.

"Our budget for FY 2023 is proactive and resilient,” she said.

If the proposed budget would be passed on its current form, education would still get the biggest funding at P852.8 billion, larger by 8.2% compared to this year. The education budget, mandated by the Constitution to receive the lion's share of funding, has its plate full as school-aged children return to classrooms after two years of blended online learning.

Meanwhile, the agriculture budget benefitted from the spotlight as President Ferdinand “bongbomg” Marcos Jr. tacked on the department among his responsibilities. Agriculture, including the agrarian reform department, saw its planned 2023 budget widened 39.2% to P184.1 billion. The sector is reeling from headwinds here and abroad, as a shortage of sugar and onions will test the neophyte administration’s ability to respond to crises. 

The Marcos Jr. administration earmarked P1.196 trillion for infrastructure build-up for 2023. It said it was planning to spend an equivalent of 5% of the gross domestic product on public works and infrastructure to eke out growth. 

The Marcos Jr administration wants the Philippine economy to grow 6.5-7.5% this year. 

The amount earmarked for health expanded by 10.4% to P296.3 billion by next year. The DBM said “around P29 billion" will be allotted for the purchase of drugs, medicines, and vaccines. Likewise, they were earmarking P19 billion for the wages and benefits of healthcare workers, which came under intense scrutiny as payments were delayed for most of them during pandemic lockdowns.