GOVPH

The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) released a total of P2.85 Billion to several agencies to cover the one (1) month equivalent of the 2018 pension differential of retired military and uniformed personnel (MUP). The initial release will benefit retired military personnel of the Armed Forces of the Philippines as well as the retired uniformed personnel of the Philippine National Police, Bureau of Fire Protection, Bureau of Jail Management and Penology, Philippine Coast Guard and National Mapping and Resource Information Authority. The estimated one (1) month equivalent of the 2018 Pension Differential released to the agencies is broken down as follows:  DEPARTMENT/AGENCY  AMOUNT  (in thousand pesos)  GRAND TOTAL  2,849,766 A. Department of National Defense  ●      Armed Forces of the Philippines  1,516,520 B. Department of the Interior and Local Government  ●      Philippine National Police  1,207,222 ●      Bureau of Fire Protection 91,669 ●      Bureau of Jail Management and Penology 5,739 C. Department of Transportation  ●      Philippine Coast Guard 28,004 D. Department of Environment and Natural Resources ●      National Mapping and Resource Information Authority  612 The total requirement to cover the 2018...

With the roll out of the COVID-19 vaccination plan fast approaching, Department of Budget and Management (DBM) Secretary Wendel Avisado raised the need to increase the fifteen percent (15%) limitation on advance payments on the contract amount for the procurement of COVID-19 vaccines. This will ensure the timely and efficient implementation of the COVID-19 vaccination plan. The existing authority which only allows advance payment of up to 15% is provided under Memorandum Order No. 172, s. 2005. This limitation is only applicable in exceptional cases such as the procurement of goods during a state of calamity. He added that the government is presently experiencing difficulties in negotiating with various pharmaceutical companies due to the limitations imposed under existing laws. “...Currently, pwede ka lang magbayad o mag advance payment hanggang 15%... Ang gusto ng mga pharmaceutical industries, bayaran mo na... I-aadvance mo na ang payment bago ma-ideliver… In other words, talagang tatalunin tayo ng mga mayayamang bansa,” Avisado said. Secretary Avisado likewise called for greater patience and understanding from the public regarding the vaccine procurement process. He explained that...

Department of Budget and Management (DBM) Secretary Wendel Avisado shared that the fight against communist groups can be addressed by empowering local governments units (LGUs), especially barangays, through the implementation of programs and building infrastructure that are designed to uplift the lives of members of the community. DBM Secretary Avisado and Davao City Councilor Danny Dayanghirang—who both served as lawmakers in the Davao City Council—emphasized the importance of having continuous dialogues with stakeholders coupled with community-based services by the LGUs and the military as mainly instrumental in addressing the communist insurgency problem in Davao. “Hindi pwedeng puro salita lang tayo. Kailangan talaga nakikita sa gawa... Kaya ito nga, importante ang programang sinusulong ng ating pamahalaan,” Avisado said. Avisado, who is also Cabinet Officer for Regional Development and Security (CORDS) of Region XI, also shared that his experiences with President Duterte in Davao City—particularly in empowering and building the confidence of grassroot level units such as the barangay—is being implemented now under the Duterte Administration so that government services will...

Amid the numerous inquiries regarding the release of funds for the 2018 pension differentials for retired military and uniformed personnel (MUP), the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) wishes to clarify that no release has been made to cover the payment for the purpose. It may be recalled that on January 1, 2018, Congress Joint Resolution (JR) No. 1 was adopted, modifying the base pay of all MUPs from 2018 to 2019.As such, P36.6 billion has been released to cover the pension differential requirements for FY 2019. Upon submission of the National Expenditure Program to Congress, P172.90-billion was proposed under the Pension and Gratuity Fund (PGF) to partially fund the payment of the 2018 pension differences for MUP. However, the PGF was significantly reduced to P152.90-billion or a difference of P20.0-billion when the General Appropriations Act was passed, which largely affected the payment of the 2018 pension differentials. In view of the significant reduction in the PGF, the DBM shall prioritize the release of the current/regular pension requirements to ensure that all retired MUPs will be receiving their regular pension for the current year. Hence, P25.99 billion has...

With a shared vision of forging a responsive, agile, transparent, and accountable public procurement, the Government Procurement Policy Board (GPPB), GPPB-Technical Support Office (GPPB-TSO), and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) launched on January 20, 2021 the Philippine Bidding Documents (PBD) Builder Portal, the opening highlight of GPPB’s three-day F.Y. 2021 Procurement Forum. The portal is designed to simplify and improve the efficiency of preparing PBDs that are crucial to initiating procurement of goods and infrastructure projects for better public service delivery. With the theme Procurement Innovations in Times of Pandemic: Leveraging Technology and Cultivating an Agile Procurement Regime, Department of Budget and Management (DBM) Secretary and GPPB Chairperson Wendel Avisado noted that “new procurement reforms and digital platforms shall define and serve as the hallmark of a responsive and agile public procurement system.”  He further elucidated that the challenges magnified by the COVID-19 outbreak in 2020 had pushed the GPPB to adapt and innovate while keeping true to its mandate. “The PBD Builder Portal developed through the collaborative...

The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has released a total of P25.99 billion to cover the regular pension requirements of military and uniformed personnel (MUP) under the Department of National Defense (DND) and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) for the period January to March 2021. Particularly, the allotments and cash allocations were released to the DND - Armed Forces of the Philippines (P14.04 billion), DILG - Philippine National Police (P10.64 billion), DILG - Bureau of Fire Protection (P941.78 million) and DILG - Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (P367.16 million). Said releases were charged against the Pension and Gratuity Fund (PGF) under the FY 2021 General Appropriations Act.  The release order for uniformed personnel of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and the National Mapping and Resource Information Authority (NAMRIA) shall be issued upon its submission of the required Special Budget Request to the DBM. The DBM recognizes the critical role played by the country’s military and uniformed personnel in maintaining national security, peace and order while taking into account their exposure to high-risk environments in the performance of their...

President Rodrigo Roa Duterte signed and approved the Fiscal Year (FY) 2021 General Appropriations Act (GAA) on December 28, 2020 which included his Veto Message on specific items and provisions to the said GAA. This is to ensure the judicious implementation of the FY 2021 budget which is crafted to help the country reset, rebound, and recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.    FY 2021 GAA Provisions subject to Direct Veto   In the President’s Veto Message, provisions which do not relate to particular appropriations, of which would effectively amend the Constitution, or any existing laws were subjected to direct veto. Specifically, the President directly vetoed any provision which allows agencies to use their income without separate legal bases since these provisions will reduce the sources of financing for next year’s budget as well as increase the appropriations of agencies beyond the approved expenditure levels.  Moreover, the President directly vetoed any provision on the use of savings by an agency or department without his approval since the Constitution limits such power to the President with respect to the Executive department.    The President also directly vetoed any provision which...