November 15, 2025 | 12:00am
Amid caution over corruption concerns
MANILA, Philippines — A total of P119.73 billion from the 2025 national budget remains unreleased, as the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) exercises caution amid concerns over potential corruption.
Latest DBM data showed that P6.206 trillion has been released as of end-October, equivalent to 98.1 percent of the P6.326 trillion budget for the year.
However, the pace of disbursements is slower compared to 2024 when the government had already achieved 100 percent disbursement by the end of September.
Budget Assistant Secretary Romeo Matthew Balanquit previously stated that the DBM is “extra cautious” in disbursing funds, but emphasized the need to maintain a business-as-usual approach to help the economy.
The DBM released P4.02 trillion under the 2025 General Appropriations Act (GAA), according to the Status of Allotment Releases, which represents 95.4 percent of the total P4.21 trillion financing program.
Under the 2025 GAA, the DBM has released 96.5 percent of the P3.68 trillion programmed budget for departments, amounting to P3.55 trillion.
In terms of special-purpose funds, the government has already released P465.97 billion, which is 88 percent of the P529.6 billion budget.
Meanwhile, the government has released P1.93 trillion, or 91.5 percent, of the P2.11 trillion budget allocated under automatic appropriations.
Divided into segments, the DBM has fully released budgets for the national tax allotment, block grant, pension of former presidents and former presidential widows, special account in general fund and tax expenditure fund.
Only 75 percent of the net lending allocation and 78.5 percent of interest payments have been released by the budget department, with the remaining portions yet to be disbursed from their total budgeted amounts.
For unprogrammed appropriations, the DBM has released a total of P158.34 billion, with the majority allocated to support foreign-assisted projects at 69.2 percent of the total.
The Department of Public Works and Highways has so far received P58.84 billion from the unprogrammed funds, followed by the Department of Transportation with P30.23 billion.
