The 80-man Bangsamoro Parliament on Thursday afternoon unanimously approved on the third and final reading the PHP98.4 billion regional budget for 2024.

Regional lawmakers approved the Bangsamoro Expenditure Program (BEP) after nine days of extensive deliberations, the office of Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) Speaker Pangalian Balindong said on Thursday afternoon.

Certified as urgent by Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) Chief Minister Ahod Balawag Ebrahim, the bill was swiftly approved, making it the fastest deliberation since the BTA was formed in 2019.

The BTA Committee on Finance, Budget, and Management spent hours to scrutinize the budget proposals of all ministries, agencies, and offices, leading to unanimous parliamentary approval, including increased allocations for various ministries.

Next year’s funds for the operation of BARMM are 15.3 percent higher than the current budget of PHP85.3 billion.

The education ministry gets the biggest chunk of the 2024 spending plan, seen to prioritize education with PHP30.2 billion, followed by public works and infrastructure with PHP17.7 billion, and health with PHP6.6 billion.

Lawyer Ubaida Pacasem, BARMM Minister of Finance, Budget, and Management, said next year’s budget includes PHP70.5 billion from the Annual Block Grant as outlined in the 2024 National Expenditure Program (NEP); PHP5 billion from shares in national taxes collected within the BARMM as provided in the NEP;

PHP5 billion for the Special Development Fund; PHP471 million from the projected regional taxes; and PHP17.3 billion from the declared savings from previous years. (PNA)

Photo credit: Facebook/BTAParliament