The Senate Committee on Finance began deliberations on Tuesday on the proposed P6.352-trillion National Expenditure Program (NEP) for 2025. The amount represents a 10.1-percent increase over this year’s national budget of P5.768 trillion.

During the hearing, the Development Budget Coordination Committee, consisting of the administration’s economic managers, briefed the Senate panel on the NEP for next year.

Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman provided an overview of the allocations in the proposed budget, which she said is “responsive not only to the needs but also to the aspirations of the Filipino people.”

According to Pangandaman, the proposed national budget is equivalent to 22.1 percent of the country’s gross domestic product.

In terms of expense class, the largest outlay is allocated to Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses (MOOEs) amounting to P2.421 trillion.

The MOOE allocation is for operating requirements, particularly of social programs, as well as of local government units and government corporations.

By sector, more than half or 62.6 percent of the national budget will be allocated to both social and economic services.

The economic sector, which includes the Build Better More infrastructure program of the administration, will receive P1.853 trillion.

In terms of government agencies, the biggest chunk of the budget is allocated to the Department of Education with P977.6 billion, which is 15.4 percent of the total NEP.

This is followed by the Department of Public Works and Highways with P900 billion, which is 14.2 percent of the proposed national budget, while the Department of Health got the third largest outlay of P297 billion.

The Department of the Interior and Local Government and the Department of National Defense are set to receive P278.4 billion and P256.1 billion, respectively.