THE Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has released P3.61 trillion or 80.2 percent of the P4.506-trillion 2021 national budget during the first four months of the year.
But this was significantly lower compared to the 90.1 percent release rate recorded in the same period last year when it released P3.69 trillion out of the P4.1 trillion 2020 national budget.
Allotment releases are issued by the DBM to enable agencies to incur obligations to finance the delivery of public services.
Out of the funds under the 2021 national budget, allotment releases from January to April amounted to P2.46 trillion or 80 percent of P3.077 trillion.
Broken down, releases to government departments reached P2.32 trillion, equivalent to 88.2 percent of this year’s program of P2.64 trillion.
Of the programmed P440.09 billion for special purpose funds, 31 percent or P136.5 billion was released. Special purpose funds are appropriations in the national budget provided to cover expenditures for specific purposes for which recipient departments/agencies have not yet been identified during budget preparation.
As for automatic appropriations, 70.2 percent or P1.004 trillion out of the P1.429 trillion program was released by the budget department.
Releases under automatic appropriations during the four-month period were made for Internal Revenue Allotment (P695.49 billion), interest payments (P132.89 billion), block grant to Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (P71.67 billion), retirement and life insurance premiums (P56.62 billion), special account in the general fund (P30.57 billion), tax expenditures fund/customs duties and taxes (P9.62 billion), net lending (P7.18 billion), and pension of ex-presidents or widows of ex-presidents (P480,000).
Meanwhile, continuing appropriations from the 2020 national budget and Bayanihan 2 have amounted to P93.85 billion.
President Duterte earlier extended the validity of appropriations of the 2020 national budget until the end of this year while appropriations under Bayanihan 2 are still valid for obligation and disbursement until June 30 this year.
In terms of unprogrammed appropriations, P52.7 billion was released during the period. Unprogrammed appropriations provide standby authority to incur additional agency obligations for priority programs or projects when revenue collections exceed targets or when additional foreign funds are generated.
Allotment releases for other automatic appropriations stood at P1.05 billion.