The Philippine government ramped up its budget disbursements in the first half of 2025, with fund utilization rising by over 10 percent from the same period last year, according to the Department of Budget and Management (DBM).
From January to June, the government released ₱2.49 trillion in funds—an increase of 10.4 percent compared to the ₱2.26 trillion disbursed during the first half of 2024, based on the latest data on the Notice of Cash Allocation (NCA). Of that amount, ₱2.46 trillion was utilized, marking a 10.2 percent jump year-on-year and maintaining a strong 99 percent usage rate.
This near-total utilization leaves only ₱26.4 billion in unused funds by end-June, signaling efficient government spending across departments and agencies.
NCAs are the budgetary instruments that enable agencies to draw cash from government banks, allowing timely execution of public projects and services.
Of the total releases, line departments—which include agencies directly responsible for delivering public services—accounted for the lion’s share at ₱1.85 trillion. The rest, ₱639 billion, was allotted to other offices and government-owned and -controlled corporations.
Several agencies stood out for their complete use of allocated funds, including the Office of the Vice President and the Commission on Audit, which already posted 100 percent utilization in May. In June, they were joined by the Departments of Education, Foreign Affairs, Labor and Employment, Migrant Workers, Social Welfare and Development, Tourism, as well as the judiciary, Civil Service Commission, Commission on Elections, and Office of the Ombudsman.
On the other end of the spectrum, the Department of Information and Communication Technology (DICT) posted the lowest utilization rate at just 76 percent or ₱3.48 billion. The Department of Energy followed at 77 percent, and the Department of Agriculture at 82 percent.
The 2025 national budget is pegged at ₱6.352 trillion.
