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DBM to agencies: Identify environment-related programs in budget

By Azer Parrocha

March 7, 2023, 8:51 pm

MANILA – Department of Budget and Management (DBM) Secretary Amenah Pangandaman has urged government agencies to identify environment-related programs and projects in the national budget as part of ongoing efforts to address climate change.

Pangandaman made this call during the Annual Climate Change Expenditure Tracking (CCET) Virtual Orientation on Tuesday.

Citing the World Bank Group’s Country Climate and Development Report for the Philippines published in November 2022, she said mainstreaming climate considerations in public financial management is “crucial” in climate change adaptation and mitigation.

"While we are on track with our Agenda for Prosperity, our efforts will be futile if we are unable to address climate change, as it continues to pose significant risks to our economic development," Pangandaman said.

She also enjoined all planning and budget officers and climate change technical representatives to provide climate change expenditure tracking “efficiently and effectively.”

"May we keep in mind that we are doing all these to ensure that our economic progress is moving towards a truly inclusive and sustainable economy -- one that will be felt by every individual, family, and entity in the country, and will benefit not only citizens in the world today but also in the generations to come," she added.

In a news release, the DBM said the national government has allocated a budget of PHP464.5 billion this year, equivalent to 8.8 percent of the total national budget to address climate change.

This figure is significantly higher by 60.1 percent compared to the 2022 allocation of PHP289.7 billion.

Climate change mitigation and adaptation programs aligned with the National Climate Change Action Plan (NCCAP) are also among the government’s priorities.

The government is also prioritizing water sufficiency projects, with almost 80 percent of the total climate change budget, followed by sustainable energy, food security, ecosystem and environmental stability, climate-smart industries and services, human security and knowledge and capacity development.

Disaster resilience is also being given importance, including the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Fund (NDRRMF) with PHP20.50 billion; Quick Response Fund, PHP17.15 billion; and Flood Management Program, PHP182.99 billion.

The National Greening Program was allocated PHP2.39 billion, of which PHP1.86 billion will be for the Protected Areas Development and Management Program; PHP1.56 billion will be for the Manila Bay Rehabilitation; and PHP246 million will be for the Coastal and Marine Ecosystems Management Program.

The CCET Virtual Orientation, organized by DBM and the Climate Change Commission, is in support of the Marcos administration's 8-point Socioeconomic Agenda and the implementation of climate change provisions in the Philippine Development Plan 2023-2028.

It explained to government agencies the necessity of intensified climate change planning and programming, and provided clear, concise and up-to-date information for national government planning and budget officers, and for climate-change technical representatives to understand climate change and CCET as an integral part of the national budget preparation. (PNA)

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