BUDGET Secretary Amenah F. Pangandaman called for a review of gender and development (GAD) budget policy amid growing challenges, while also pushing for an inclusive budget process.
In an e-mail interview, Ms. Pangandaman, the first Muslim woman to lead the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), said such a review is needed “in consideration of the growing gender-related challenges and demands of our society, and mindful of our limited fiscal space.”
Government departments and agencies are required to allocate a minimum of 5% of their annual funding to gender programs, projects, and activities.
The Philippine Commission on Women reported that P807.64 billion, or 23% of the budget of government agencies including state universities and colleges, was allocated for GAD in 2023.
The actual GAD utilization however was only 13%.
“Being a woman in a leadership role, especially in governance and finance, requires a profound commitment to making every policy and program uplift the quality of life of every Filipino, especially women,” she said.
The administration’s budgeting practices have come under fire from former President Rodrigo R. Duterte, who alleged that the 2025 General Appropriations Act passed with a number of items left unfilled — leaving the government a so-called “blank check” for unspecified spending items.
The DBM rejected such claims as “fake news,” while President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. said it is impossible to pass budgets with blank items.
Ms. Pangandaman said the DBM is advancing transparency and inclusive citizen participation in the budget process.
“We continue to leverage Open Government Partnership (OGP) as a platform for safe, inclusive, and constructive citizen participation in the budget process,” she said.
“The Philippines has long been recognized as a regional and global leader in this area, consistently earning high marks in the International Budget Partnership’s Open Budget Survey,” she said.
Ms. Pangandaman chairs the Philippine OGP and belongs to the organization’s global Steering Committee.
“In addition, the economic team is exploring the inclusion of civil society representatives in the Development Budget Coordination Committee — a move that could significantly deepen public participation throughout the entire budget cycle, from planning to implementation, monitoring, and evaluation,” she said. — Aubrey Rose A. Inosante