The Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) on Tuesday said it has proposed P45 billion as budget for fiscal year 2025 in a deliberation before the House appropriations committee last week.

DoLE’s budget under the 2025 National Expenditure Program (NEP) is 26.9 percent or P15 billion down from its P61-billion budget this year under the 2024 General Appropriations Act. This, however, is higher than the P39 billion budget under the 2024 NEP.

Of the amount, P34.36 billion (76 percent) is allocated for Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses, P7.36 billion (16 percent) for personnel services, and P3.56 billion (8 percent), for capital outlay.

Fifty-four percent is set for DoLE’s attached agencies, namely the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (P18.50 billion), the Professional Regulation Commission (P2.71 billion), National Labor Relations Commission (1.50 billion), National Conciliation and Mediation Board (P329.27 million), National Wages and Productivity Commission (P351.21 million), and the Institute for Labor Studies (P95.56 million).