Members of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) Parliament pose for a photo opportunity after the passage of the BTA Bill No. 262 or the General Appropriations Act of the Bangsamoro (GAAB) for FY 2024 on Thursday, December 21, 2023 in Cotabato City. (Hamdan Badrudin/BIO)
COTABATO CITY—The Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) unanimously approved on the third and final reading of Bill No. 262 or the General Appropriations Act of the Bangsamoro (GAAB) for FY 2024 on Thursday, Dec. 21, 2023.
Amounting P98,467,200,000.00, the budget seeks to provide the means for the continuous operation of the Bangsamoro Government and will prioritize education, infrastructure projects, healthcare, and social services sectors.
Prior to the approval of the 2024 Bangsamoro budget, it underwent a two-month extensive deliberations led by the BTA’s Finance, Budget, and Management Committee to promote the sound, efficient, and effective utilization of financial resources.
The education sector received the largest allocation at PhP30.2 billion to support the implementation of quality education, including the funds for government and private Madaris education and Scholarship Programs to give a chance to the Bangsamoro learners who are deprived of education because of poverty.
The infrastructure project by the Ministry of Public Works (MPW) gets PhP17.7 billion prioritizing the Road Network Development Program to continue constructing road networks and transportation facilities.
The Ministry of Health (MOH) also received P6.65 billion to improve access to quality healthcare, revitalize health facilities, and improve various components of the health system in the region.
During the approval, Member of the Parliament Engr. Baintan Ampatuan presented the budget breakdown of the ministries, offices, and agencies (MOAs). The budget is 15.36% higher than the current year’s budget of P85.3 billion.
- Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA): P4,831,206,302
- Office of the Chief Minister (OCM): P3,884,118,344
- Ministry of Social Services and Development (MSSD): P3,702,389,285
- Ministry of Interior and Local Government (MILG): P2,359,893,235
- Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Agrarian Reform (MAFAR): P1,913,541,274
- Ministry of Human Settlements and Development (MHSD): P1,132,845,944
- Ministry of Environment, Natural Resources, and Energy (MENRE): P834,206,301
Certifying the bill as urgent, Bangsamoro Chief Minister Ahod Ebrahim emphasized: “Let’s ensure that this budget provides concrete results to our communities.”
He further underscored that the Bangsamoro budget relies on institutions of Moral Governance and public ethics that value honesty, fairness, professionalism, and productivity.
“To Bangsamoro, this budget is for you. It was crafted to ensure that we all reap the fruits of a long-time struggle,” he added.
Meanwhile, Minister of Finance, Budget, and Management Atty. Ubaida Pacasem explained the budget components for 2024.
The breakdown includes P70.5 billion from the Annual Block Grant as outlined in the 2024 National Expenditure Program; P5.08 billion from shares in national taxes collected within the BARMM as provided in the NEP; P5 billion for the Special Development Fund; P471 million from the projected regional taxes; and P17.3 billion from the declared savings from prior years.
The approved budget for the next year will be the last budget of the current administration before the anticipated 2025 elections. (Johaira Sahidala/BIO)
