Anti-2025 budget group gathers force, to hold indignant rally January 31

PHILIPPINES - In Brief 29 Jan 2025 by Diwa Guinigundo

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At the end of December 2024, we wrote that the Philippines’ national budget for 2025 may not be able to achieve those lofty goals of promoting higher food production, arresting inflation, elevating the quality of education and skills training as well as public health. Despite the protestations coming from the presidential palace and Congress, those lofty goals seem to count very little in this year’s appropriation. Compared to last year’s budget, social and economic services were slashed while general public services, defense and debt burden were prioritized. It’s easy to hide vested interests behind those big words and big numbers. It should be clarified that social and economic services allocation provides the funding for education, culture and manpower development, health and social security, welfare and employment. General public services involve peace and security but also include congressional and election activities. In terms of the numbers, in violation of the 1987 Philippine Constitution, education was denied the highest allocation, the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation was denied its annual subsidy even as the demand for health even escalated in the face of the recent health pandemic. Public money is to be spent more this year for the President, both houses of Congress, non-critical public works projects and for financial assistance to what is referred to as marginal sector of society and victims of recent calamities. Being an election year, this year’s budget, to some observers, is designed to win votes and perpetuate those in authority. We cited the reports that “some mass actions are being organized to oppose the national budget and demand good gover...