BUDGET Secretary Amenah F. Pangandaman has approved the release of P30.41 billion to fund the pensions of military retirees in the first quarter.
The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) said the fund release has been charged to the Pension and Gratuity Fund of the 2025 General Appropriations Act.
“For many military and uniformed personnel (MUP) retirees and their families, pensions are a lifeline that ensure their daily needs are met, like buying their medicine and food,” Ms. Pangandaman said in a statement on Tuesday.
The DBM said P16.75 billion has been released to the Armed Forces of the Philippines – General Headquarters-Proper and the Philippine Veterans Affairs Office under the Department of National Defense.
Agencies under the Department of Interior and Local Government received P13.297 billion. These include the Philippine National Police, Bureau of Fire Protection, Bureau of Jail Management and Penology, and the National Police Commission.
Meanwhile, the DBM said 34 pensioners from the National Mapping and Resource Information Authority of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources have been granted P8.530 million.
For the first three months of 2025, P350.680 million was released to fund the pension of the 2,836 retired uniformed personnel of the Philippine Coast Guard, an arm of the Department of Transportation.
“The releases are based on the actual pension payroll submitted by the above-mentioned MUP agencies as of Dec. 31, 2024,” the DBM said. — Aubrey Rose A. Inosante