Cartoon By: Aaron Paul C. Caril
EDITORIAL
The 2025 national budget: Beyond presentation gimmicks
and the President’s assertion of his veto power
After some finance experts labeled the 2025 proposed national budget as the ‘most corrupt,’ the Malacañang Palace canceled the scheduled budget signing on December 20, 2024, according to news reports, to ensure that the 2025 budget will be compliant with the Constitution and has been ‘most prudent’ in allocating resources.
One of the strongest objections against the budget is the P1.113-trillion public works budget which is higher than the overall P925 billion allocation for basic, higher, and technical vocational education. The 1987 Constitution mandates that the State shall assign the highest budgetary priority to education and ensure that teaching will attract and retain its rightful share of the best available talents through adequate remuneration and other means of job satisfaction and fulfillment. This provision ensures that education remains a top priority in government spending to promote quality education for all. Among the staunch critics of the seemingly unconstitutional allocation and wrong prioritization is the President’s sister, Senator Imee Marcos.
Although the budget prioritization issue may appear to be a serious defect, a well-meaning accountant or budget expert sees it as an issue that is so easy to remedy. Presentation is the key to appeasing the strong opposition against the budget’s wrong priorities. Count everything and anything related to education as part of the education budget, giving more importance to the form than the substance. After accounting for all expenditures related to education, the President finally signed the 2025 national budget. With “education” broadly used in the Constitution, the presentation gimmick solves the issue.
The President’s veto over PhP194 billion line items inconsistent with his administration’s programmed priorities is commendable and shows that he still exercises power and control over his administration. This decisive action has the potential to significantly alter the budget’s direction, demonstrating the President’s commitment to his administration’s goals. Among the vetoed items are the PhP26.065 billion worth of projects under the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and PhP168.240 billion allocated under “Unprogrammed Appropriations.”
Noteworthy is the President’s action on the conditional implementation of the Ayuda sa Kapos ang Kita Program (AKAP). This approach, in coordination with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), and the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), ensures that its implementation will be strategic leading to the long-term improvement of the lives of qualified beneficiaries, while guarding against misuse, duplication, and fragmented benefits.
As the political cauldron starts to sizzle and simmer this year, we must be vigilant in guarding the government coffers from being used to pursue the selfish objectives of those who wield the power to disburse public money. While the President’s actions in setting up control mechanisms are laudable, the actual implementation of the government’s programs is where public money is lost to graft and corruption. This underscores the crucial need for accountability in every step of the budget process.