Manila: The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) announced a system upgrade to its website to manage increased traffic and counter misleading claims about the 2025 General Appropriations Act (GAA). This move follows a surge in online rumors suggesting alterations to the 2025 GAA.
According to Philippines News Agency, the DBM's Information and Communications Technology Systems Service (ICTSS) conducted a three-hour maintenance session from 10 p.m. Monday to 1 a.m. Tuesday, aiming to enhance website speed and efficiency. This action addresses false claims that the department had modified the 2025 GAA by "filling in the blanks," which the DBM has firmly denied.
The DBM stressed there is no truth to the rumors spread by "fake news peddlers and professional government destabilizers." The department confirmed that there are no missing pages or figures in the 2025 GAA, which has been publicly accessible on its website since January 3, 2025. Thousands of users have accessed this information online, and printed copies are available in Congress.
Additionally, the DBM highlighted that the National Expenditure Program for 2025, detailing the proposed government budget, was uploaded to the website on July 29, 2024. The department cited recent recognition of the Philippines as Asia's most fiscally transparent nation, attributing this to its dedication to transparency through initiatives such as the Open Government Partnership and Digitalization.
The DBM urged the public to remain cautious of misinformation and to critically assess such claims. Former President Rodrigo Duterte and Davao City 3rd District Representative Isidro Ungab recently alleged that at least 13 pages of the budget contained items with blank appropriations, insinuating a "blank check" approach for future allocations. However, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. refuted these allegations, asserting that Duterte was misrepresenting the facts and emphasizing that a budget cannot be passed with blank items.
The DBM labeled these allegations as "malicious and irresponsible," clarifying that Duterte and Ungab referenced pages from the Bicameral Conference Committee Report, not the General Appropriations Bill or the approved GAA.
