MANILA —The Department of Information and Communication Technology (DICT) had the lowest budget utilization for the first quarter of 2023, Department of Budget and Management (DBM) Secretary Amenah Pangandaman told the House Appropriations Committee on Thursday.

Rep. Salvador Pleyto asked about the issue during the hearing for the 2024 budget.

"Kailangan po kasi naman malaman ito bago namin i-meet ang iba't ibang departmento. Sino po ang mga ahensiya na nanguna sa mabilis at maayos na paggamit ng kanilang pondo and on the contrary, sino po rin ang mabagal o nahihirapan sa pag-utilize ng pondo nila?" Pleyto asked.

(We need to know before meeting the various agencies: Which used upt their funds quickly and properly, and which departments lagged?)

Pangandaman read out the following agencies which had low fund use.

• DICT - 5.6 percent
• Department Migrant Workers - 10 percent
• Department of Social Welfare and Development - 11.4 percent
• Department of Agrarian Reform - 13.8 percent
• Department of Labor and Employment - 14.1 percent
• Office of the Press Secretary - 14.9 percent
• Civil Service Commission - 18.4 percent
• Department of Tourism - 18.9 percent
• Other Executive Offices - 19.4 percent

DICT’s "low utilization rate" was cited by DBM as the reason why its allocation for 2024 was reduced by P1 billion.

• Why was DICT's budget slashed by P1 billion for 2024?

"I can give you the figure for the entire national government, which is only, for the national government agencies as a whole, the obligation rate in average is only 30.5 percent as of March 31, 2023 because for second quarter we just got the data last July 31," Pangandaman also said.

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The DBM Secretary said a circular required agencies and offices to submit a catchup plan for budget execution not later than September 15.

• DOF names 'slowest' agencies in spending

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