The Department of Budget and Management ( DBM) said on Wednesday that it is preparing a P4.3 trillion budget for next year to be submitted to Congress in August.

In the "Laging Handa" press briefing, Budget Secretary Wendel Avisado said the proposed budget would focus on the government's efforts to combat the coronavirus disease pandemic and on "labor intensive projects and activities."

"Our proposed budget for next year is about P4.3 trillion," he said, noting this would be slightly higher than this year's P4.1 trillion budget.

Currently, Avisado said the DBM is conducting the technical budget review of the proposed budget of all the government agencies.

By first week of July, Avisado said they would conduct an executive budget review.

Avisado said the proposed expenditures of each agency are "focused on the priorities of the national government in line with our desire to precisely continue to combat this pandemic and at the same time also provide the kind of programs, activities and projects for our people, especially those who lost their livelihood or jobs so that they can have sources."

"This means, we will concentrate more on labor intensive projects and activities to give income opportunities to the most vulnerable and to the most affected sector and workers both in public and private sectors," the Budget chief added.

Similar to last year, Avisado said the executive branch is targeting to submit the proposed budget for next year to Congress by second week of August.

"If we cannot submit it during the SONA (State of the Nation Address), we may do it on the second week of August," he said.

President Rodrigo Duterte's fifth SONA is set on July 27 when Congress opens its session.

Under the law, the executive branch has 30 days after the President's SONA to submit to the House of Representatives the proposed budget for the succeeding year. Celerina Monte/DMS