The Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) criticized the 2025 national budget scheduled to be signed and approved by President Bongbong Marcos Jr tomorrow. “The 2025 national budget is clearly anti-people and favors bureaucratic and militarist interests while neglecting the needs of farmers and the broader population.”
Despite an overall increase of Php373 billion, the budget prioritizes agencies such as the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) with a staggering Php1.11 trillion allocation and the Department of National Defense (DND) with Php282 billion, while crucial sectors like health, education, and agriculture face significant setbacks. “The budget priorities remain misaligned and prone to corruption.”
Danilo Ramos, chairperson of KMP and a Makabayan senatorial candidate, slammed the allocations: “The 2025 budget rewards militarization and bureaucratic excess while slashing essential social services. Farmers are left to fend for themselves amidst rising production costs, climate disasters, and falling farmgate prices. This reflects the Marcos Jr administration’s subservience to neoliberal policies and penchant for repression over economic relief.”
Ramos said the Department of Agriculture’s (DA) increased funding for modernization and infrastructure is undermined by the continued implementation of the Rice Tariffication Law and the prioritization of agribusiness over small-scale farmers. The paltry Php75 million allocated for fuel subsidies and ASF recovery is glaringly insufficient to address the agricultural sector’s mounting crises.
The budget cuts in social services are also stark. The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) suffered reductions in key programs that provide immediate relief to impoverished families, despite worsening poverty. The Department of Health (DOH) saw cuts to its facilities enhancement program, and public education under the Department of Education (DepEd) took blow with reduced allocations for classrooms and school equipment.
Ramos added: “These cuts in social services, combined with bloated budgets for agencies like the DPWH and DND, reveal the true priorities of the Marcos Jr. administration—corruption over social services.”
After the bicam hearings, the DPWH emerged as the biggest gainer, with more than one trillion allocation, most of which is directed to capital-intensive infrastructure projects. These projects often benefit private contractors and corporate interests, overshadowing the urgent needs of rural communities. Climate resilience programs, though touted as priorities, remain underfunded and also prone to corruption.
The Makabayan senatorial candidate emphasized the implications of the budget on farmers and the environment: “The insufficient allocations for climate resilience and agricultural support leave farmers more vulnerable to typhoons and other disasters. We need a budget that reflects the true needs of the people—genuine land reform, disaster resilience, and social services, not military spending and bureaucratic waste.”
KMP reiterated its call for a genuine agrarian reform, including the scrapping of the Rice Tariffication Law, and the reallocation of funds from militarization to essential social services. The peasant group will join the BAYAN-led protest tomorrow to expose Marcos Jr’s anti-people budget.#
