The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has released Php3.345 trillion, or 91.4 percent of the PhP3.662 trillion Fiscal Year (FY) 2019 obligation program as of August 31.

Allotment releases to the line departments amounted to PhP1.971 trillion. 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 PhP244.642 billion. Special Purpose Funds (SPFs) are budgetary allocations in the GAA 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, inched up to PhP1.069 trillion, corresponding to 99.7 percent of the FY 2019 program for automatic appropriations. These include 100 percent of the FY 2019 program for the Internal Revenue Allotment of local government units, Pension of Ex-President/Ex-President Widows, Net Lending, Interest Payments, and Tax Expenditures Fund/Customs Duties and Taxes. Moreover, some PhP2.639 billion in additional payments for Retirement and Life Insurance Premium requirements was released for newly-created or -filled positions in various agencies, resulting in a 105.6 percent release for the category.

The DBM has also released PhP24.778 billion as of end-August from the continuing appropriations of the 2018 GAA for line departments and releases from SPFs. Continuing appropriations refer to appropriations available to support obligations for a specified purpose or project, such as multi-year construction projects which require the incurrence of obligations beyond one fiscal year. 

As for unprogrammed appropriations, some PhP29.072 billion have been released, largely for support to foreign-assisted projects of the Department of Transportation and for payments of pension arrears of military and uniformed personnel. Unprogrammed appropriations are standby appropriations which 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.

Allotments for other automatic appropriations, amounting to PhP7.541 billion, have also been released.

The immediate release of funds by the DBM will ensure that national government agencies are able to swiftly implement their programs and projects, such as the construction of new roads, schools, and hospitals, and the protection and promotion of the welfare of the poor and marginalized sectors, among others.