Metro Manila, Philippines– Next year’s National Expenditure Program (NEP) is being eyed at around ₱6.2 trillion, Department of Budget and Management (DBM) Secretary Amenah Pangandaman said Wednesday.

This is an increase of about ₱432 billion compared to the 2024 General Appropriations Act (GAA) worth ₱5.768 trillion.

“We’ll review the numbers again but as of now it’s ₱6.2 trillion,” Pangandaman said, referring to the interagency Development Budget Coordination Committee (DBCC).

It is composed of the DBM, the Department of Finance, the National Economic and Development Authority, the Office of the President, and the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas.

Asked about the 2025 NEP priorities, Pangandaman said that it would be similar to the 2024 budget with a focus on health, education, and the administration’s infrastructure initiative dubbed Build Better More.

She added that the Commission on Elections would get higher funding to conduct the 2025 midterm polls.

Meanwhile, as early as Dec. 27, 2023 the department sent out its budget call to national government agencies for their funding requests in fiscal year 2025.