Evaluating the 2025 Philippine National Budget by Dr. Cielo Magno | Scientific Lecture 2025
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True to its mission to apply the social sciences on matters of public policy and knowledge sharing, the Philippine Social Science Council (PSSC) hosted its annual scientific lecture on the 2025 National Budget on 15 February 2025 at the PSSC Auditorium. Fiscal policy expert from the University of the Philippines School of Economics Assoc. Prof. Cielo Magno served as the distinguished guest lecturer and shared her insights on the key issues and implications of the 2025 national budget.
Dr. Magno’s lecture entitled “Evaluating the 2025 Philippine National Budget” underscored the critical importance of prioritizing public interest in all policy decisions related to national expenditure—emphasizing that budget allocations should reflect the country’s development agenda to meet needs of the Filipino people, particularly the underprivileged and marginalized sectors.
Using insights from her law and economics background, Dr. Magno highlighted some general observations on the 2025 budget such as the deprioritization of education which raises some serious constitutional questions about this year’s budget allocation. She also noted the increase of funds for small and local infrastructure projects under the Department of Public Works and Highways which signals the resurgence of pork barrel funds for politicians. In addition, the increased funding for political patronage such as AKAP, MAIFIP, and TUPAD fueled the political machineries and capital of dynasts and bosses of Philippine politics.
This accumulation among the ruling few comes at the dispossession of the underclass through the reduced funding of institutionalized social welfare programs such as the zero-subsidy to Philhealth and 4Ps conditional cash transfer program. Funds seem to be funneled to big-ticket projects and ballooning unprogrammed appropriation that lack a clear fiscal direction and may not necessarily reflect the country’s development objectives. Dr. Magno also made initial observations on the negative relationship between poverty incidence and regional budgets of agencies where richer regions receive higher budgets for health, agriculture, education, public works, and the environment which suggests the widening gap between poor and rich regions and the exacerbating effect of the middle-income trap in the current budget allocation process and Philippine growth and development.
Furthermore, Dr. Magno emphasized in her lecture the comprehensive nature of the budget process as it undergoes four stages: preparation, legislation, execution, and accountability. As a prominent leader in civil society organizations, she called on exacting accountability from politicians and bureaucrats in the government to create a national budget that is responsive to the current needs and aspirations of the nation. Accountability is often taken for granted and should now be demanded by the Filipino people.
A subsequent open forum followed the scientific lecture and was moderated by UPSE Asst. Prof. JC Punongbayan. Attendees participating in person, Zoom, and Facebook Live posed their questions to the moderator and lecturer which ensured a meaningful and productive exchange of ideas and critical public conversation to the pressing issues which the social sciences may illuminate.
PSSC remains committed to fostering critical discourse on national issues and providing a platform for experts to share their research and insights with the broader community. Stay tuned for more thought-provoking discussions in our upcoming events!
📌 Missed the lecture? Watch the replay here:
True to its mission to apply the social sciences on matters of public policy and knowledge sharing, the Philippine Social Science Council (PSSC) hosted its annual scientific lecture on the 2025 National Budget on 15 February 2025 at the PSSC Auditorium. Fiscal policy expert from the University of the Philippines School of Economics Assoc. Prof. Cielo Magno served as the distinguished guest lecturer and shared her insights on the key issues and implications of the 2025 national budget.
Dr. Magno’s lecture entitled “Evaluating the 2025 Philippine National Budget” underscored the critical importance of prioritizing public interest in all policy decisions related to national expenditure—emphasizing that budget allocations should reflect the country’s development agenda to meet needs of the Filipino people, particularly the underprivileged and marginalized sectors.
Using insights from her law and economics background, Dr. Magno highlighted some general observations on the 2025 budget such as the deprioritization of education which raises some serious constitutional questions about this year’s budget allocation. She also noted the increase of funds for small and local infrastructure projects under the Department of Public Works and Highways which signals the resurgence of pork barrel funds for politicians. In addition, the increased funding for political patronage such as AKAP, MAIFIP, and TUPAD fueled the political machineries and capital of dynasts and bosses of Philippine politics.
This accumulation among the ruling few comes at the dispossession of the underclass through the reduced funding of institutionalized social welfare programs such as the zero-subsidy to Philhealth and 4Ps conditional cash transfer program. Funds seem to be funneled to big-ticket projects and ballooning unprogrammed appropriation that lack a clear fiscal direction and may not necessarily reflect the country’s development objectives. Dr. Magno also made initial observations on the negative relationship between poverty incidence and regional budgets of agencies where richer regions receive higher budgets for health, agriculture, education, public works, and the environment which suggests the widening gap between poor and rich regions and the exacerbating effect of the middle-income trap in the current budget allocation process and Philippine growth and development.
Furthermore, Dr. Magno emphasized in her lecture the comprehensive nature of the budget process as it undergoes four stages: preparation, legislation, execution, and accountability. As a prominent leader in civil society organizations, she called on exacting accountability from politicians and bureaucrats in the government to create a national budget that is responsive to the current needs and aspirations of the nation. Accountability is often taken for granted and should now be demanded by the Filipino people.
A subsequent open forum followed the scientific lecture and was moderated by UPSE Asst. Prof. JC Punongbayan. Attendees participating in person, Zoom, and Facebook Live posed their questions to the moderator and lecturer which ensured a meaningful and productive exchange of ideas and critical public conversation to the pressing issues which the social sciences may illuminate.
PSSC remains committed to fostering critical discourse on national issues and providing a platform for experts to share their research and insights with the broader community. Stay tuned for more thought-provoking discussions in our upcoming events!
📌 Missed the lecture? Watch the replay here:
True to its mission to apply the social sciences on matters of public policy and knowledge sharing, the Philippine Social Science Council (PSSC) hosted its annual scientific lecture on the 2025 National Budget on 15 February 2025 at the PSSC Auditorium. Fiscal policy expert from the University of the Philippines School of Economics Assoc. Prof. Cielo Magno served as the distinguished guest lecturer and shared her insights on the key issues and implications of the 2025 national budget.
Dr. Magno’s lecture entitled “Evaluating the 2025 Philippine National Budget” underscored the critical importance of prioritizing public interest in all policy decisions related to national expenditure—emphasizing that budget allocations should reflect the country’s development agenda to meet needs of the Filipino people, particularly the underprivileged and marginalized sectors.
Using insights from her law and economics background, Dr. Magno highlighted some general observations on the 2025 budget such as the deprioritization of education which raises some serious constitutional questions about this year’s budget allocation. She also noted the increase of funds for small and local infrastructure projects under the Department of Public Works and Highways which signals the resurgence of pork barrel funds for politicians. In addition, the increased funding for political patronage such as AKAP, MAIFIP, and TUPAD fueled the political machineries and capital of dynasts and bosses of Philippine politics.
This accumulation among the ruling few comes at the dispossession of the underclass through the reduced funding of institutionalized social welfare programs such as the zero-subsidy to Philhealth and 4Ps conditional cash transfer program. Funds seem to be funneled to big-ticket projects and ballooning unprogrammed appropriation that lack a clear fiscal direction and may not necessarily reflect the country’s development objectives. Dr. Magno also made initial observations on the negative relationship between poverty incidence and regional budgets of agencies where richer regions receive higher budgets for health, agriculture, education, public works, and the environment which suggests the widening gap between poor and rich regions and the exacerbating effect of the middle-income trap in the current budget allocation process and Philippine growth and development.
Furthermore, Dr. Magno emphasized in her lecture the comprehensive nature of the budget process as it undergoes four stages: preparation, legislation, execution, and accountability. As a prominent leader in civil society organizations, she called on exacting accountability from politicians and bureaucrats in the government to create a national budget that is responsive to the current needs and aspirations of the nation. Accountability is often taken for granted and should now be demanded by the Filipino people.
A subsequent open forum followed the scientific lecture and was moderated by UPSE Asst. Prof. JC Punongbayan. Attendees participating in person, Zoom, and Facebook Live posed their questions to the moderator and lecturer which ensured a meaningful and productive exchange of ideas and critical public conversation to the pressing issues which the social sciences may illuminate.
PSSC remains committed to fostering critical discourse on national issues and providing a platform for experts to share their research and insights with the broader community. Stay tuned for more thought-provoking discussions in our upcoming events!
📌 Missed the lecture? Watch the replay here:
