Lawmakers defend approval of 2025 budget

Metro Manila, Philippines - Lawmakers defended on Monday, Dec. 16, their approval of the 2025 budget that drew criticisms from some government officials and the public.

Congress passed the spending plan with a substantial cut in the Department of Education (DepEd) budget and zero subsidy for the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth).

After a ₱12-billion slash, DepEd’s budget next year is ₱737 billion. Secretary Sonny Angara was saddened by the cut but said he is hopeful after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. pledged to remedy it.

House Assistant Majority Leader Jude Acidre, one of the bicameral panel members, explained that the budget for the education sector is around ₱900 billion combining the allocations for the Commission on Higher Education, state universities and colleges, and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority.

Under the Constitution, the education sector should have the highest budget priority. For 2025, the biggest chunk goes to the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) at ₱1.1 trillion.

“There’s jurisprudence to that end na sinasabi ng [that] Supreme Court… saying that the budget priority is not equal to the highest budgetary allocation. But we’re not even taking it from that,” Acidre said in a press briefing.

“If you put all together the sums allotted for all the education agencies na meron tayo… Kahit ho isama natin ‘yung mga infrastructure projects na may kinalaman sa education sector, significant pa rin ang ating allocation,” he said.

[Translation: If you put all together the sums allotted for all the education agencies that we have, even if we include the infrastructure projects for the education sector, the allocation is still significant.]

For Zambales 1st District Rep. Jay Khonghun, DepEd should present an improved utilization rate before receiving an additional budget.

Senator Grace Poe said the budget approval for DepEd underwent an “exhaustive process.”

“Working with finite resources to fund infinite needs is not an easy choice, but what we have reflects the careful decisions made within the constraints we face,” she said in a statement.

Angara assumed the DepEd secretary post in July after Vice President Sara Duterte resigned.

PhilHealth budget sufficient

Lawmakers also justified the removal of the ₱74-billion subsidy for PhilHealth.

Khonghun noted PhilHealth’s low spending despite the growing contributions of its members.

“Ang PhilHealth nabibilaukan na sa dami ng pondo. Hindi na ito nagagamit nang maayos 'yung pondo na meron sila,” he said.

[Translation: PhilHealth is awash with funds. These are not spent well.]

Acidre said the proposed subsidy was realigned instead to specialty centers and hospitals.

He said the health insurer has enough funds for next year.

Meanwhile, Congress also received an ₱18.8-billion increase - ₱1 billion for the Senate and ₱17 billion for the House of Representatives.

Acidre said the additional funding would be spent for infrastructure to refurbish the aging Batasang Pambansa. The new Senate building is also in the works.