MANILA -- The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) released P4.390 trillion, or 97.4 percent of the P4.506 trillion FY 2021 national budget, as of October 31, 2021. This therefore leaves a balance of P115.57 million, which is set to cover funding requirements for the remaining months of the year.
Bulk of the allotments released, amounting to P2.496 trillion, went to various departments and agencies while some P387.12 billion was released from Special Purpose Funds 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 increased to P1.238 trillion. These include releases for the Internal Revenue Allotment of Local Government Units, Pension of Ex-President/Ex-President Widows, Net Lending, Interest Payments, Tax Expenditures Fund/Customs Duties and Taxes, and Retirement and Life Insurance Premium requirements. Further, allotments for other automatic appropriations amounting to PhP34.10 billion have also been released.
In line with Republic Act (RA) No. 11520 which extended the validity of the FY 2020 GAA until December 31, 2021, the DBM has likewise released P135.50 billion. This covers allotment releases totaling to P91.86 billion for the implementation of programs and projects authorized under RA No. 11494 or the Bayanihan to Recover as One Act.
Finally, P100.52 billion have been released from Unprogrammed Appropriations, which are standby appropriations that authorize additional agency expenditures for priority programs and projects when revenue collections exceed the resource targets or when additional grants or foreign funds are generated.
For more information, the status of allotment releases as of October 31, 2021 may be accessed through the DBM website: https://www.dbm.gov. ph/index.php/programs- projects/status-of-allotment- releases/218-dbm-releases/ status-of-allotment-releases/ 1987-status-of-allotment- releases-as-of-october-31-2021 (DBM)
