The FY2020 Bangsamoro Appropriations Act is an integral aspect of the interim government’s endeavor to improve the lives and living conditions of the Bangsamoro People. Aimed at addressing and alleviating poverty, the social programs included in next year’s budget are focused on enhancing the delivery of education, health, and social services in the region. Here’s how the Bangsamoro Government plans to fund these sectors:

The total budget appropriated for health, education, and social services amounts to 24.16B. Constituting almost 37% of the total budget, bulk of this fund will go to the Ministry of Basic, Higher, and Technical Education (MBHTE), which is tasked to lead the establishment of an integrated educational system in the region. The Ministry of Health (MOH), on the other hand, has been appropriated with 3.07B to raise the quality of health services in the region while the Ministry of Social Services (MSS) will work on a 2.03B budget to implement both national and local social welfare programs targeting the region’s disadvantaged sectors. 

A Closer Look: MBTHE, MOH, and MSS Programs

The MBHTE has laid down significant programs for the coming year that will cover basic, higher, and technical education services. Part of it is directed to fund the Madaris Asatidz Program as well as the formulation of Madaris Education standards and curriculum with a funding amounting to 36.57M and 408.69M, respectively. For basic education, the Ministry will implement school-based programs such as the Learners’ Health and Nutrition Program, feeding and dental health projects, and the Computerization Program with a funding of around 415.45M. 

Meanwhile, for higher education, 237.43M is allocated for the support services that will be given to six (6) Commission on Higher Education (CHED)-supervised institutions located in the BARMM. This will be complemented with the Ministry’s scholarship program to ultimately increase the access of the Bangsamoro youth to higher education. Finally, the Ministry’s programs for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) will receive a funding of 179.57 million pesos. This provision targets to strengthen the technical education and skills development programs of the Government with the goal of producing work-ready graduates. 

Majority or almost 86% of the total budget of the MBHTE is set aside to fund its school-based management and operations. This hopes to brush up school administration and performance and to aid public school teachers. This indicates bigger funding for the division offices of Basilan and Lamitan (1.38B), Sulu (2.69B), Tawi-Tawi (1.84B), Maguindanao (4.22B), Lanao del Sur I (2.81B), Lanao del Sur II (2.57B), and Marawi City (823.35M). Prime component of this are the provisions of cash allowances and incentives to teachers. 

The MOH will be directing its funds amounting to 2.79B to promotive, and curative and rehabilitative health care services. Under promotive health care, 848.83M is allocated to cover services like the disease prevention and control program of the Ministry and community/field health care. 1.94B is also appropriated to support the hospital services of twenty-seven (27) public medical institutions in the region. 

The MSS has clustered its services into five programs with a total funding of 1.81B for operations. Almost half of its total budget is dedicated for its Emergency Assistance Program in line with the Ministry’s mandate to assist local government units (LGU) in providing immediate relief and early recovery in times of natural and human-induced disasters. The Ministry’s wide range of programs also include, among others, assistance to children in conflict with the law and women in especially difficult circumstances (WEDC),  installed Referral Pathways in municipalities/cities, skills development for persons with disabilities, and volunteer mobilization.

Other Social Programs 

Apart from the services of the mentioned line ministries, the newly enacted budget will also fund a number of other social programs. These include the banner programs of the Government of the day such as:

  • Tulong Alay sa Bangsamorong Nangangailangan (TABANG) Program. 1.65 billion pesos is allocated for the program to provide various basic services to local communities, like free medical and dental consultations, legal services, job fairs, etc.
  • Ayudang Medikal Mula sa Bangsamoro Government (AMBAG). In the amount of 100M, this program will extend medical assistance to the Bangsamoro people in need. 
  • Kapayapaan sa Pamayanan (KAPYANAN). A development program for livelihood and housing provisions with a total budget of 2.82B.

Social services and assistance will also be offered by the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs (MIPA) with a total funding of 6.03M, of which 2.04M is dedicated for disaster and relief assistance, 2.99M for assistance to GIDA, and 1M for the IP Assistance Program. The Ministry of Human Settlement and Development (MHSD) will also implement the second phase of the BARMM Housing Project and other development programs with a budget of 34.43M.

This is the final article in our four-part series that expounds on the FY2020 Bangsamoro Budget in line with the Office of the Minority Leader’s aim of promoting government transparency, and participation among all Bangsamoro stakeholders. For data requests, questions, or comments on this series, contact us through this link.