The government’s allotment releases surged to P6.15 trillion as of end-November, as both national budget and unprogrammed appropriations for the year have been fully released.
In its Status of Allotment Releases report, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) said it has released the entire budget for 2024.
Of the P6.15 trillion released as of November, P5.77 trillion is the programmed national budget while P382.33 billion was accounted for by unprogrammed appropriations.
In 2023, the government’s allotment releases as of November stood at P5.41 trillion, equivalent to 97.6 percent of program.
Allotment releases to departments as of November 2024 amounted to P3.45 trillion, or 98.6 percent of the 2024 program.
These include funds allocated for agencies in the executive branch, congress, the judiciary and other constitutional offices.
Releases from special purpose funds (SPFs) amounted to P463.43 billion, or 91.3 percent of the full-year program, the DBM data showed.
SPFs are budgetary allocations in the General Appropriations Act allocated for specific socio-economic purposes such as budgetary support to government corporations, allocation to local government units, contingent fund, miscellaneous personnel benefits fund, national disaster risk reduction and management fund and pension and gratuity fund.
Allotment releases for automatic appropriations, or appropriations programmed annually or for some other period prescribed by law, amounted to P1.71 trillion, or 97.3 percent of release over program.
These include the 2024 program for retirement and life insurance premium requirements, national tax allotment, block grant, pension of ex-president/ex-president widows, special account in the general fund, net lending, interest payments and tax expenditures fund/customs duties and taxes.
Earlier, the DBM said unprogrammed appropriations serve as standby funds, outside the approved government fiscal program, available for unforeseen but significant expenditures.
Release is contingent upon meeting various funding conditions, such as the Bureau of the Treasury collecting excess revenue or new revenue from tax or non-tax sources.
Additionally, the realization of foreign or approved financial loans/grants proceeds could trigger the availability of unprogrammed funds.
