The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has so far released P3.737 trillion or 82.9 percent of the P4.506-trillion 2021 national budget in the first five months of the year.
This is noticeably slower than the 91.1- percent release rate it posted from January to May last year when it disbursed P3.736 trillion out of the P4.1 trillion 2020 national budget.
Allotment releases are issued by the DBM to enable agencies to incur obligations to finance the delivery of public services.
Broken down, the DBM has so far released P2.544 trillion or 82.7 percent of the P3.087 trillion funds under the 2021 national budget.
Out of the amount released under this year’s national budget, DBM disbursed to different departments P2.346 trillion or 89 percent of the P2.646 trillion program.
Meanwhile, releases for special purpose funds under the 2021 national budget hit P198.3 billion, equivalent to 45.1 percent of P440.8 billion program.
Special purpose funds are appropriations in the national budget provided to cover expenditures for specific purposes for which recipient departments/agencies have not yet been identified during budget preparation.
As for automatic appropriations, 70.5 percent or P1.007 trillion out of the P1.419 trillion program was released by the budget department.
Releases under automatic appropriations during the five-month period were made for Internal Revenue Allotment (P695.49 billion), interest payments (P132.89 billion), block grant to Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (P71.67 billion), retirement and life insurance premiums (P56.73 billion), special account in the general fund (P31.07 billion), tax expenditures fund/customs duties and taxes (P12.94 billion), net lending (P7.18 billion), and pension of ex-presidents or widows of ex-presidents (P480,000).
Meanwhile, continuing appropriations from the 2020 national budget and Bayanihan 2 have amounted to P184.92 billion.
President Duterte earlier extended the validity of appropriations of the 2020 national budget until the end of this year while appropriations under Bayanihan 2 are still valid for obligation and disbursement until June 30 this year.
In terms of unprogrammed appropriations, P73.59 billion was released during the period. Unprogrammed appropriations provide standby authority to incur additional agency obligations for priority programs or projects when revenue collections exceed targets or when additional foreign funds are generated.
Allotment releases for other automatic appropriations stood at P14.09 billion.
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