The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has released Php3.491 trillion, or 95.3 percent of the PhP3.662 trillion Fiscal Year (FY) 2019 obligation program as of September 30.

Allotment releases to the line departments amounted to PhP2.011 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 PhP317.882 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, increased to PhP1.070 trillion, corresponding to 99.9 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 PhP50.254 billion in payments for Retirement and Life Insurance Premium requirements was released, inclusive of PhP3.09 billion pertaining to additional requirements for newly-created or -filled positions in various agencies, resulting in a 106.6 percent release for the category.

The DBM has also released PhP25.043 billion as of end-September 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 PhP40.481 billion have been released. 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 PhP25.766 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.

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