EXCLUSIVE: EDSA Busway budget not yet fully utilized—DBM

The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) said the budget of the EDSA Busway this year is not yet fully utilized, the reason why they haven't provide allocation for the said transportation project for the 2027 National Expenditure Program.

This is amid the request of Transportation Secretary Giovanni Lopez for lawmakers to fund the EDSA Busway of P1.76 billion, as it gets zero allocation under the 2027 NEP prepared by the DBM.

In a Viber interview, DBM Undersecretary and Functional Group Head of the Communications and Public Relations Group, Goddess Hope Libiran, stressed that

EDSA Busway still has continuing appropriations that have been available since January 2025.

“As of June 30, 2026 or after one and a half years, its budget utilization rate was 37.04 percent, leaving a substantial portion of existing funds available for implementation,” Libiran clarified.

Further, Libiran disclosed that within DOTr's prioritization of programs submitted for the FY 2027 budget proposal, EDSA Busway is on Rank 23.

“The ranking forms part of the context in allocating limited fiscal space among DOTr's competing priorities, together with existing funds, utilization rates, and implementation capacity,” she said.

Also, the DBM official noted that it is necessarily the said funding should deplete first before it would be given the next funding requirement.

“The point is, there is substantial portion pa ng existing appropriation for the EDSA Busway that remains available for implementation,” she said.

“At noong nagsumite ang DOTr ng kanilang priorities for the FY 2027 budget, Rank 23 ang EDSA Busway. Given the limited fiscal space, DBM had to prioritize projects that require funding more immediately, while also considering existing available appropriations, utilization, and implementation capacity,” she further explained.

As to Sec. Lopez’s request for the additional P1.7 billion, Libiran said they defer to the wisdom of Congress should lawmakers deem it appropriate to provide additional funding.

“But even if Congress does not provide the additional P1.7 billion at this stage, that does not necessarily mean the project will be left without options once the existing funds are fully utilized. If DOTr subsequently determines that additional funding is already necessary for continued implementation next year, they may raise the requirement with DBM, and we can discuss it with them and assess what funding sources may be legally available at that time,” according to Libiran.

During the Senate sub-committee budget deliberation days ago, Lopez said he is seeking a P1.76 billion budget allocation for the EDSA Busway.

Lopez revealed during the earlier budget deliberation at the House Committee on Appropriations that the Busway Project, along with the Service Contracting Program and the Fuel Subsidy Program, got zero budget as the DBM tightens the government’s fiscal space.

Despite this, Lopez said he is confident that lawmakers would greenlight his request to fund the project that is servicing 67 million commuters.

Lopez gained backing from the Management Association of the Philippines that EDSA Busway having zero budget is inexplicable to the public.

The MAP said EDSA Busway serves a critical mass transportation need of ordinary commuters, serving about 200,000 passengers daily in the most crowded transport corridor of Metro Manila, with peak daily ridership reaching 321,186 passengers on 21 April 2025.