Rizal Hall, Malacañan Palace
January 6, 2020
President Rodrigo Roa Duterte signed into law the General Appropriations Act (GAA) of 2020 in a ceremony at the Rizal Hall in Malacañan Palace.
“Representing almost 20 percent of our projected GDP for 2020, this year’s 4.1 trillion budget will support our vision of a more peaceful and progressive Philippines — an upper income middle — peaceful and progressive Philippines — an upper bracket of earners who can make a difference have already cut poverty rate by just 14 percent and achieved a 7.5 percent GDP growth [by] 2022,” President Duterte said in his speech.
The PhP4.1-trillion national budget for 2020, which is 12% higher than last year’s PhP3.662-trillion national budget, is set to bolster critical infrastructure projects, human capital development, and peace and order initiatives of the administration geared towards the country’s socio-economic growth.
The Department of Education (DepEd) leads the top ten list of departments to receive major budget allocation from the 2020 national budget with PhP692.6-billion, followed by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) with PhP581.7-billion, Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) with PhP241.6-billion, Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) with PhP200.5-billion, Department of National Defense (DND) with PhP192.1-billion, Department of Health (DOH) with PhP175.9-billion, Department of Transportation (DOTr) with PhP100.6-billion, Department of Agriculture (DA) with PhP64.7-billion, Department of Justice (DOJ) with PhP41.2-billion, and lastly, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) with PhP26.4-billion.
With the President’s continuing fight to combat illegal drugs and criminality in the country, the Philippine National Police (PNP) has been allocated with PhP187.3-billion, while some PhP70.6-billion has been allotted to finance operational and development needs of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) that would usher in and install lasting peace in Mindanao.
Moreover, the President has set aside 11% of the budget for debt servicing to help bring down government debt to just 39% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by 2022. He also extended the availability of funds allotted in the 2019 national budget until the end of this year to encourage government spending.
“Together, let us ensure that every peso in the budget will never be used to support the selfish greed of the few, but spent exclusively for the benefit and service of Filipino taxpayers,” the President said.
The Chief Executive was joined in the signing ceremony by Senate President Vicente Sotto III, House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano, Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea, Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri, House of Representatives Majority Leader Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, House of Representatives Minority Leader Bienvenido ‘Benny’ Mirando Abante, Jr., Senator Cynthia Villar, Senator Christopher Lawrence Go, Camarines Sur 2nd District Representative Luis Raymund Villafuerte, Jr., and Davao City 3rd District Representative Isidro Ungab.
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