Business leaders are urging a more transparent and accountable process in finalizing the 2025 national budget amid concerns over budgetary adjustments and a lack of clear justification for certain allocations.
"We are alarmed by some of the adjustments made by the bicameral committee to the 2025 General Appropriations Act (GAA)," the Makati Business Club (MBC) said in a statement on Saturday, Dec. 28.
One of the key concerns raised by the MBC is the allocation of a P1.1 trillion budget to the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), exceeding the Department of Education's budget of P737 billion.
The MBC noted that prioritizing the DPWH budget, which increased by almost P289 billion, over DepEd's may violate the constitutional mandate that prioritizes education in budgetary allocations.
Furthermore, the MBC questioned the P19 billion budget increase for Congress and the P26 billion allotment for the Ayuda Para sa Kapos sa Kita Program (AKAP), a financial assistance program for "near-poor" families.
The MBC said the lack of sufficient explanation or justification for these adjustments, particularly for the AKAP, where no information is available on implementation or eligibility criteria.
The MBC also pointed out that the Senate had previously raised questions about the funds allocated for this program.
Additionally, the MBC expressed concern over the removal of the P74.43 billion subsidy for the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) in the 2025 GAA, despite its crucial role as the state health insurer.
The MBC said that the 2025 budget should align with the primary concerns of Filipinos, citing a March 2024 Ulat ng Bayan Survey by Pulse Asia, which identified controlling inflation, increasing workers' pay, and fighting government corruption as top priorities.
"These are clear indicators of what should be the government’s priority," the MBC added.
MBC’s call for transparency comes in light of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s initiative to scrutinize the bicameral-approved budget before its final passage.