FY 2021 BUDGET. BARMM Chief Minister Ahod Balawag Ebrahim (left) and BTA Parliament Speaker Atty. Pangalian M. Balindong (right) lead on Wednesday, December 23 the ceremonial signing of the Bangsamoro Expenditure Program (BEP) for 2021 amounting to P75.6 billion, right after it was approved by the Bangsamoro Parliament on the third and final reading. (ZSDiolanan, Publication and Media Relations Division)

COTABATO CITY — Members of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) Parliament approved on Wednesday, December 23, 2020 the proposed PHP75.6-billion budget of the Bangsamoro Government for the fiscal year 2021.

After thorough deliberations, the Ministry of Basic, Higher and Technical Education got the biggest share of the allotment with P23.5 billion.

BTA Cabinet Bill No. 73, entitled “An Act Appropriating funds for the Operation of the Bangsamoro Government from January One to December Thirty-One, Two Thousand and Twenty-One, and for Other Purposes” was approved by the BTA via nominal voting with 55 “yes” votes, zero “no” vote, and no abstentions.

Budget of other ministries and offices are as follows: Office of the Chief Minister (OCM) – P10.2 billion; Ministry of Finance, Budget, and Management (MFBM) – P389.6 million; Ministry of Social, Services, and Development (MSSD) – P3.3 billion; Ministry of Trade, Investments, and Tourism (MTIT) – P323.5 million; Ministry of Labor and Employment (MOLE) – P274.1 million; Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC) – P623.2 million; Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs (MIPA) – P105.2 million; Ministry of Health (MOH) – P5.1 billion; Ministry of Public Works (MPW) – P15.7 billion; Ministry of Interior Local Government (MILG) – P1.05 billion; Ministry of Environment, Natural Resources, and Energy (MENRE) – P553.7 million; Ministry of Human Settlements and Development (MHSD) – P811.01 million; Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) – P197.2 million; Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Agrarian Reforms (MAFAR) – P1.5 billion; Ministry of Public Order and Saftety (MPOS) – P108.8 million; Office of the Wali – P33.02 million; Bangsamoro Planning and Development Authority (BPDA) – P85.08 million; Bangsamoro Attorney General Office (BAGO) – P41.08 million; Bangsamoro Human Rights Commission (BHRC) – P97.4 million; Bangsamoro Women Commission (BWC) – P71.6 million; and Bangsamoro Youth Commission (BYC) – P76.7 million.

Signed into law by Ebrahim, the Bangsamoro Appropriations Act (BAA) for FY 2021 contains the priority plans, projects and programs of the Bangsamoro Government.

In a previous statement, Chief Minister Ahod Balawag Ebrahim said despite the massive challenges brought by the Coronavirus Disease-19, the Bangsamoro Government’s mandate to its people remains the same.

“We remain true to the cause of our people and to the oath that we took when began this journey together. None of which, of course, can be possible without approving a financial program that can respond to the unprecedented needs of these trying times enabling our community to bounce back better,” Ebrahim said.

Ebrahim said financial program distinct from last year are the inclusion of efforts towards the public health crisis and other significant initiatives that were not part of last year’s fiscal design.

“The Bangsamoro Government’s focus remains at the heart of the Bangsamoro Organic Law’s priority programs in health, education, and social services. We intend to broaden the scope of its existing programs and expand it down to the grassroots,” Ebrahim added.

In his Chief Minister’s Hour, Ebrahim stressed he knew ‘most of us are already weary because of the extremely unique circumstances this year, but we owe this to our people and the sacrifices made by our dear brethren in the struggle’.

“We cannot put our people’s welfare on hold and so our service continues. Halfway through the transition period, I am proud to say that the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA), as the interim Bangsamoro Government, has made remarkable accomplishments as a government for the Bangsamoro people,” Ebrahim emphasized. (GALao, Publication and Media Relations Division, BTA Parliament)