P4.23 trillion released from 2025 budget

March 15, 2025 | 12:00am

MANILA, Philippines — Nearly 70 percent or P4.23 trillion of the record P6.326-trillion budget for 2025 has been released as the government ramps up the implementation of various programs, according to the Department of Budget and Management.

Latest data from the DBM showed that the agency has released a total of P4.23 trillion of the 2025 budget as of end-February, representing 67 percent of the total allocation for the year. 

However, the amount is lower than the 79.3 percent in budget releases in the same period last year.

Data showed that the DBM released P2.98 trillion under the 2025 General Appropriations Act (GAA). The amount is 70.6 percent of the total P4.22 trillion financing.

Under the 2025 GAA, the DBM said it has distributed 76 percent or P2.81 trillion of the P3.69 trillion for departments.

In terms of special purpose funds, releases amounted to  P173.54 billion, equivalent to 33 percent of the P529.6 billion allocation.

On the other hand, automatic appropriations are at nearly 60 percent or P1.23 trillion of the P2.11 trillion aggregate funding.

Broken down, the government finally released allocation for the tax expenditure fund at P9.43 billion, or 65 percent of the P14.5 billion allocation in February.

Similarly, the DBM used up the entire P27.35 billion in the special account in the general fund, from just 12.6 percent in releases in January. 

Last month, the DBM likewise disbursed the complete P480,000 allocation for the pension of former presidents or their widows.

For two months now, the DBM has yet to release any amount from the P848.03 billion for interest payments, as well as the P28.7 billion for net lending.

As early as January, the agency had released the entire P1.03 trillion for the national tax allotment and the full P83.42 billion for the block grant.

The DBM also freed up the entire P68.55 billion in retirement and life insurance premiums of state workers in January and added some P5.61 billion in extra funds last month. 

Further, the DBM recorded P25.68 billion in other releases as of February, 87 percent or P22.4 billion of which went to other automatic appropriations.

There was also P1.1 billion released for unprogrammed appropriations. 

Unprogrammed appropriations provide standby authority to incur additional agency obligations for priority programs or projects when revenue collection exceeds targets or when additional grants or foreign funds are generated.

The entire P1.1 billion was allocated to support the foreign-assisted projects of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority.