COTABATO CITY — Education, infrastructure, health, and social services are among the top budgetary priorities of the Bangsamoro government, as the proposed bill for the 2023 Bangsamoro Expenditure Program entered first reading on Wednesday, September 28.
The Government of the Day filed Parliament Bill No. 54, proposing the BARMM budget for 2023. The budget has been increased to P83.5 billion in 2023 from P79.8 billion in 2022.
BARMM Chief Minister Ahod Balawag Ebrahim personally turned over the proposed budget to Bangsamoro Transition Authority Speaker Atty. Pangalian Balindong.
With the proposed budget, Ebrahim expressed optimism that this will improve the region and make it a better environment for the Bangsamoro people, who will reap the benefits of a better economy.
He said that, in keeping with the BARMM’s mandate, they have earmarked bulk of the budget to education, infrastructure, health, and social services, with the government planning to spend P27.2 billion on education, P16.4 billion for strategic infrastructure, P5.6 billion for health, and P2.8 billion for social services.
EDUCATION
Getting the biggest chunk of the budget is the education sector, with P27.2 billion allocated for the Ministry of Basic, Higher, and Technical Education, which also includes the funding for Madaris education.
MBHTE Minister Mohagher Iqbal noted that the Bangsamoro youth remain the hope of the region.
“As such, we highly invest in the education of the youth,” Iqbal said, adding that the youth will be the future of the Bangsamoro.
He also reiterated the MBHTE’s commitment to ensuring that no Bangsamoro learner, even those in remote, school-less barangays, is left behind.
The proposed P27 billion budget is for personnel services, provision of learners’ kits, teachers’ kits, armchairs, textbooks, and other programs of the ministry.
It also includes support for 5,190 madaris asatidz serving in all public schools in the region, tertiary education and skills training scholarships, madaris education, and an alternative learning system.
For higher education services, P235 million is allotted for tertiary education scholarships and P285 million for skills training scholarships under technical education services.
STRATEGIC INFRASTRUCTURE
For the Ministry of Public Works, the proposed budget is P16.47 billion, as the Bangsamoro government believes that investing in infrastructure creates jobs for the people and boosts demand for supply, which in effect increases economic activity.
The funding will be allocated for road development network programs, construction of bridges, port rehabilitation programs, and other infrastructure projects.
Various infrastructure projects will also be implemented by other ministries and offices.
The Ministry of Housing and Human Settlement Development will implement a housing resettlement program for the disadvantaged and homeless.
They also intend to continue the implementation of Kapayapaan sa Pamayanan (KAPYANAN) for housing, livelihood, and electrification projects.
Port modernization program will be implemented by the Ministry of Transportation and Communications, while water system projects will be implemented by the Ministry of Interior and Local Government.
HEALTH
As the BARMM addresses the challenges posed by COVID-19, P5.7 billion is allotted for the Ministry of Health to provide accessible and better healthcare services.
Allocation for health will be for vaccine procurement, COVID-19 response programs, which include health human resources for isolation facilities, continuous health service operations for hospitals and public health offices, construction of health facilities, and acquisition of new health and medical-related equipment.
The allocation also includes a study of the feasibility of the region having its own oxygen generation plant.
They also plan to continue the medical assistance program of the Office of the Chief Minister, known as the Ayudang Medikal mula sa Bangsamoro Government (AMBAG), the Tiyakap Bangsamoro Kalusugan Program for the monthly subsidies of health stations and rural health units, and the Barangay Health Workers Program to support the local health frontliners.
To ensure professional medical help is available, the Bangsamoro government also set aside funding for the strategic placement and deployment of the different human resources for nurses, midwives, and doctors to the barrios, as well as for the Barangay Health Workers Program and for the Bangsamoro Medical Scholarship Program.
SOCIAL SERVICES
Minister of Social Services Atty. Raissa Jajurie said P2.9 billion of MSSD’s budget is allocated to fund various programs, activities, and projects aimed at helping the poor, orphans, widows, internally displaced persons, elderly, and other marginalized special sectors.
Jajurie said the passage of the proposed budget aims to create equal opportunities for all and “those who have less in life shall have more in law.”
“Social services are made available and social protection is afforded to those who need it, especially the members of the most vulnerable and marginalized sectors of Bangsamoro society,” she added.
Several programs are included in the budget, such as promotion of family and community welfare, the Unlad Bangsamoro program, comprehensive and integrated delivery of social services for Bajau, child and youth welfare program, and assistance to senior citizens and physically challenged individuals.
The proposed allocations for other ministries and offices are as follows:
* Office of the Chief Minister – P5.9 billion
* Bangsamoro Transition Authority – P3.1 billion
* Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Agrarian Reform – P1.4 billion
* Ministry of Interior and Local Government – P1.2 billion
* Ministry of Environment, Natural Resources, and Energy – P663 million
* Ministry of Transportation and Communications – P545 million
* Ministry of Trade, Investments, and Tourism – P470 million
* Ministry of Finance, Budget, and Management – P358 million
* Ministry of Labor and Employment – P287 million
* Ministry of Science and Technology – P247 million
* Ministry of Human Settlements and Development – P214 million
* Ministry of Public Order and Safety – P135 million
* Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs- P108 million
“Let us all work together to make sure our bright plans for the future are concretely expressed in the financial blueprint of our bureaucracy,” Ebrahim said, adding that the passage of the budget will pave the path to the progress of the region. (LTAIS-Public Information, Publication, and Media Relations Division)