On Thursday, November 11, the Senate Finance Committee announced that the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) budget for 2022 is P665.5 billion. This has been reduced by P32.69 billion, compared to their 2021 budget of P698.19 billion.
Even with the reduction, DPWH will still receive the second largest amount among the top 10 agencies that get a big budget allocation. Highest receiver is the Department of Education (DepEd) with P738.62 billion, but this budget will be shared with State Universities and Colleges (SUCs), Commission on Higher Education (CHED), and Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA).
Following DPWH is the Department of Health (DOH) with P312.3 billion. This amount will be shared with the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) and government hospitals.
Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, Senator Sonny Angara, explained that several departments will experience budget cuts. This is to allocate more budget to government healthcare institutions, funding for special risk allowances, and healthcare workers’ benefits.