The document describes the Philippine national budget preparation process. It begins with the Department of Budget and Management issuing a budget call to agencies in December, providing parameters and guidelines. Agencies are now tasked with partnering with civil society organizations in preparing their proposals. For the first time, the 2013 budget will use a "bottom-up" approach, engaging grassroots communities in 300-400 poor municipalities. The proposals then go through technical hearings and executive review before being consolidated into a proposed national budget that is presented to the President and Cabinet for approval and submission to Congress.

2. 1. THE BUDGET CALL
AT THE BEGINNING OF THE BUDGET PREPARATION YEAR, THE
DEPARTMENT OF BUDGET AND MANAGEMENT (DBM) ISSUES
THE NATIONAL BUDGET CALL TO ALL AGENCIES (INCLUDING
STATE UNIVERSITIES AND COLLEGES) AND A SEPARATE
CORPORATE BUDGET CALL TO ALL GOCCS AND GFIS.
THE BUDGET CALL CONTAINS BUDGET PARAMETERS
(INCLUDING MACROECONOMIC AND FISCAL TARGETS AND
AGENCY BUDGET CEILINGS) AS SET BEFOREHAND BY THE
DEVELOPMENT BUDGET COORDINATION COMMITTEE (DBCC);
AND POLICY GUIDELINES AND PROCEDURES IN THE
PREPARATION AND SUBMISSION OF AGENCY BUDGET
PROPOSALS.

3. EARLY PREPARATION
UNDER THE AQUINO ADMINISTRATION, THE DBM
HAS ESTABLISHED A NEW TRADITION OF
BEGINNING THE BUDGET PREPARATION PHASE
EARLIER, TO ENSURE THAT THE NATIONAL BUDGET
IS ENACTED ON TIME. UNDER THE NEW BUDGET
PREPARATION CALENDAR, THE BUDGET CALL IS
ISSUED IN DECEMBER (VERSUS AROUND APRIL IN
THE PAST); AND THE SUBMISSION OF THE
PRESIDENT’S BUDGET A DAY AFTER THE STATE OF
THE NATION ADDRESS (IN CONTRAST TO EARLIER
PRACTICE WHERE IT IS SUBMITTED DURING THE
LATE IN THE 30-DAY WINDOW THAT THE
CONSTITUTION PRESCRIBES).

4. 2. STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT
A NEW FEATURE IN BUDGET PREPARATIONS WHICH
SEEKS TO INCREASE CITIZEN PARTICIPATION IN THE
BUDGET PROCESS, DEPARTMENTS AND AGENCIES
ARE TASKED TO PARTNER WITH CIVIL SOCIETY
ORGANIZATIONS (CSOS) AND OTHER CITIZEN-
STAKEHOLDERS AS THEY PREPARE THEIR AGENCY
BUDGET PROPOSALS. THIS NEW PROCESS, WHICH
WAS PILOTED IN THE PREPARATION OF THE 2012
NATIONAL BUDGET, IS NOW BEING EXPANDED
TOWARDS INSTITUTIONALIZATION.

5. 2. STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT
A NEW FEATURE IN BUDGET PREPARATIONS WHICH
SEEKS TO INCREASE CITIZEN PARTICIPATION IN THE
BUDGET PROCESS, DEPARTMENTS AND AGENCIES
ARE TASKED TO PARTNER WITH CIVIL SOCIETY
ORGANIZATIONS (CSOS) AND OTHER CITIZEN-
STAKEHOLDERS AS THEY PREPARE THEIR AGENCY
BUDGET PROPOSALS. THIS NEW PROCESS, WHICH
WAS PILOTED IN THE PREPARATION OF THE 2012
NATIONAL BUDGET, IS NOW BEING EXPANDED
TOWARDS INSTITUTIONALIZATION.
ORIGINAL SET (Piloted in 2012) NEW SET (Starting 2013)
Department of Health
Department of Education
Department of Social Welfare and
Development
Department of Public Works and
Highways
Department of Agriculture
Department of Agrarian Reform
National Food Authority
National Housing Authority
National Home Mortgage and
Finance Corp.
Department of Tourism
Department of Transportation and
Communication
Department of Interior and Local
Government
Department of Justice
Department of Labor and
Employment
Department of Environment and
Natural Resources
Light Rail Transit Authority
National Electrification
Administration
National Irrigation Administration
Departments and GOCCs Mandated to Conduct CSO Consultations

6. “BOTTOM-UP” BUDGETING
FOR THE FIRST TIME IN HISTORY, THE NATIONAL BUDGET
FOR 2013 WILL BE PREPARED USING A BREAKTHROUGH
“BOTTOM-UP” APPROACH. AS OPPOSED TO THE
CONVENTIONAL WAY OF ALLOCATING RESOURCES FROM TOP
TO BOTTOM, GRASSROOTS COMMUNITIES WILL BE ENGAGED
IN DESIGNING THE NATIONAL BUDGET.
THE AQUINO GOVERNMENT, THROUGH THE CABINET
CLUSTER ON HUMAN DEVELOPMENT AND POVERTY
REDUCTION, HAS IDENTIFIED 300 TO 400 OF THE POOREST
MUNICIPALITIES AND WILL ENGAGE THESE IN CRAFTING
COMMUNITY-LEVEL POVERTY REDUCTION AND
EMPOWERMENT PLANS. THIS INITIAL SALVO OF “BOTTOM-
UP” BUDGETING WILL FOCUS ON RURAL DEVELOPMENT
PROGRAMS AND THE CONDITIONAL CASH
TRANSFERPROGRAM, AND WILL THUS INVOLVE DA, DAR,
DENR, DSWD, DEPED AND DOH. THESE AGENCIES WILL
THEN INCLUDE THE COMMUNITY PLANS IN THEIR PROPOSED
BUDGETS.

7. 3. TECHNICAL BUDGET HEARINGS
THESE ARE CONDUCTED AFTER DEPARTMENTS AND
AGENCIES SUBMIT THEIR AGENCY BUDGET PROPOSALS TO
THE DBM. HERE, AGENCIES DEFEND THEIR PROPOSED
BUDGETS BEFORE A TECHNICAL PANEL OF DBM, BASED
ON PERFORMANCE INDICATORS ON OUTPUT TARGETS AND
ABSORPTIVE CAPACITY. DBM BUREAUS THEN REVIEW THE
AGENCY PROPOSALS AND PREPARE RECOMMENDATIONS.

8. 4. EXECUTIVE REVIEW
THE RECOMMENDATIONS ARE PRESENTED BEFORE AN
EXECUTIVE REVIEW BOARD WHICH IS COMPOSED OF THE
DBM SECRETARY AND SENIOR OFFICIALS. DELIBERATIONS
HERE ENTAIL A CAREFUL PRIORITIZATION OF PROGRAMS
AND CORRESPONDING SUPPORT, VIS-À-VIS THE PRIORITY
AGENDA OF THE NATIONAL GOVERNMENT. IMPLEMENTATION
ISSUES ARE ALSO DISCUSSED AND RESOLVED.

9. 5. CONSOLIDATION, VALIDATION AND CONFIRMATION
DBM THEN CONSOLIDATES THE RECOMMENDED AGENCY
BUDGETS AND RECOMMENDATIONS INTO A NATIONAL
EXPENDITURE PROGRAM AND A BUDGET OF EXPENDITURES
AND SOURCES OF FINANCING (BESF). AS PART OF THE
CONSOLIDATING PROCESS, THE DELIBERATIONS BY THE
DBCC WILL DETERMINE THE AGENCY AND SECTORAL
ALLOCATION OF THE APPROVED TOTAL EXPENDITURE
CEILING, IN LINE WITH THE MACROECONOMIC AND FISCAL
PROGRAM. HEADS OF MAJOR DEPARTMENTS ARE INVITED
TO THIS MEETING.

10. 6. PRESENTATION TO PRESIDENT AND CABINET
THE PROPOSED BUDGET IS PRESENTED BY DBM, TOGETHER
WITH THE DBCC, TO THE PRESIDENT AND CABINET FOR
FURTHER REFINEMENTS OR REPRIORITIZATION. AFTER THE
PRESIDENT AND CABINET APPROVE THE PROPOSED
NATIONAL EXPENDITURE PLAN, THE DBM PREPARES AND
FINALIZES THE BUDGET DOCUMENTS TO BE SUBMITTED TO
CONGRESS.

11. 7. THE PRESIDENT’S BUDGET
THE BUDGET PREPARATION PHASE ENDS WITH THE
SUBMISSION OF THE PROPOSED NATIONAL BUDGET—THE
“PRESIDENT’S BUDGET”—TO CONGRESS. THE PRESIDENT’S
BUDGET CONSISTS OF THE FOLLOWING DOCUMENTS, WHICH
HELP LEGISLATORS ANALYZE THE CONTENTS OF THE
PROPOSED BUDGET:

12. PRESIDENT’S BUDGET MESSAGE (PBM)
THIS IS WHERE THE PRESIDENT EXPLAINS THE POLICY FRAMEWORK AND
PRIORITIES IN THE BUDGET.
BUDGET OF EXPENDITURES AND SOURCES OF FINANCING (BESF)
MANDATED BY THE CONSTITUTION, THIS CONTAINS THE MACROECONOMIC
ASSUMPTIONS, PUBLIC SECTOR CONTEXT (INCLUDING OVERVIEWS OF LGU AND
GOCC FINANCIAL POSITIONS), BREAKDOWN OF THE EXPENDITURES AND
FUNDING SOURCES FOR THE FISCAL YEAR AND THE TWO PREVIOUS YEARS.
NATIONAL EXPENDITURE PROGRAM (NEP)
THIS CONTAINS THE DETAILS OF SPENDING FOR EACH DEPARTMENT AND
AGENCY BY PROGRAM, ACTIVITY OR PROJECT, AND IS SUBMITTED IN THE FORM
OF A PROPOSED GENERAL APPROPRIATIONS ACT.
DETAILS OF SELECTED PROGRAMS AND PROJECTS
THIS CONTAINS A MORE DETAILED DISAGGREGATION OF KEY PROGRAMS,
PROJECTS AND ACTIVITIES IN THE NEP, ESPECIALLY THOSE IN LINE WITH THE
NATIONAL GOVERNMENT’S DEVELOPMENT PLAN.
STAFFING SUMMARY
THIS CONTAINS A SUMMARY OF THE STAFFING COMPLEMENT OF EACH
DEPARTMENT AND AGENCY, INCLUDING NUMBER OF POSITIONS AND AMOUNTS
ALLOCATED FOR THE SAME.