PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte has approved the P3.767 trillion proposed national budget for 2018, Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno said Tuesday.
Diokno, in a text message, said the President gave his nod on the 2018 proposed budget during the 16th Cabinet meeting held at the Malacañang Palace on Monday.
He said he is now putting the last touches on next year's budget so it can be submitted on July 24, the day when Duterte is scheduled to deliver his second State of the Nation Address (Sona).
"Yes, he (Duterte) did [approve the proposed budget next year amounting to P3.767 trillion]," the Budget Secretary said.
"I'm finalizing it now so he can submit the President's Budget on the day of his Sona, July 24th," he added.
The Department of Budget and Management earlier proposed a 2018 national budget of P3.84 trillion but lowered it to P3.767 trilion due to watered down tax reform package approved by the House of Representatives last June 1.
Speaking to reporters, Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella said the P3.767 trillion budget for 2018 is 12.4 percent higher than the P3.35-trillion than the allotment in 2017.
Abella said the departments with the highest 2018 budgetary allocation were the departments of Education; Public Works and Highways; Interior and Local Government; Health, Agriculture; Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao; and Environment and Natural Resources.
He said the local government units would receive 16 percent of the budget allocation, while government-owned and -controlled corporation would get 4.5 percent of the budget.
Twenty-five percent of the 2018 budget would be channeled for infrastructure and outlays, 14.5 percent would go for maintenance, and 9.8 percent would be funded for debt burden, Abella said.
"The priorities of framework [are] number one, to enhance the social fabric to make sure that the entire budget is spent to make and being people-centered, fair, just and value-based; to reduce inequality; to increase growth potential; to maintain foundations for sustainable development," Abella said.
Quoting Diokno, Abella said the 2018 budget "aims for a safer, greener, wealthier, and more beautiful country, making space for the youth, the poor, disadvantaged, and handicapped." (VoxPop Philippines)
