Senator Imee Marcos has called on the Marcos administration to reduce the budget of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) by at least P188 billion in order to ensure that the 2025 General Appropriations Act (GAA) complies with constitutional requirements. This appeal was made on Tuesday, December 24, as she emphasized the necessity of making this decision prior to the anticipated signing of the 2025 GAA on December 30.
According to Article 14, Section 5 of the Constitution, the government is mandated to prioritize education in its budgetary allocations, ensuring that the teaching profession attracts and retains top talent through adequate compensation and job satisfaction. However, the bicameral conference committee has approved a budget of P1.1 trillion for the DPWH, while the Department of Education (DepEd) is set to receive only P737 billion.
President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has committed to a thorough review of the proposed P6.3 trillion budget for the upcoming year before granting his approval.
Marcos stated, “Unless there is an alternative method for calculating budget allocations for education, they should reduce the DPWH budget by at least P188 billion to avoid violating the Constitution.”
She further remarked, “This reduction could potentially free up at least P188 billion in unprogrammed appropriations for the ‘All Ye Faithful’ initiative.”
Additionally, the senator noted that if her brother, President Marcos, opts for a line-item veto as he has indicated, he will not be able to utilize the vetoed items to finance or supplement other budgetary items.
“This could result in fewer projects being funded, which may lead to a deficit that is lower than initially projected. Whether this is advantageous or disadvantageous depends on the perspective of those assessing the situation,” she explained.
She also highlighted that Unprogrammed Funds can only be accessed in the event of excess income or specific conditions being met.
“If foreign assisted projects, only the loan proceeds component of the project can be released to the extent of the loan already with us as certified by the Bureau of Treasury,” she said. (ZIA LUNA)
