The Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation, and Unity (OPAPRU) said on Wednesday it ranked first among National Government Agencies in terms of the highest budget utilization rate in the first half of FY2024.
This, according to the report presented by the Development Budget Coordination Committee during the Senate Committee on Finance’s deliberations on the proposed 2025 National Expenditure Program on Tuesday.
The report showed that the OPAPRU achieved an obligation rate of 84.3% and a disbursement rate of 91.4%, which is considered a milestone for the agency.
“As you may already know, a high budget utilization rate reflects the agency’s absorptive capacity to utilize additional funds. And to give you an update, as of June 30, 2024, agencies with the highest obligation rates include OPAPRU with 84.3%…,” said Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman during the panel deliberations on the NEP 2025 led by Finance Committee Chair, Senator Grace Poe.
“We welcome this development. The report is a testament of the OPAPRU’s commitment to maximize the use of its resources in implementing interventions that will transform the lives of former combatants, their families, and communities,” said Presidential Adviser for Peace, Reconciliation, and Unity, Secretary Carlito G. Galvez, Jr. in response to the findings of the report.
OPAPRU was allocated over Php7 billion for FY 2024, of which Php 4.925 billion was earmarked for the implementation of projects under the PAyapa at MAsaganang PamayaNAn (PAMANA) Program.
As of June 30, 2024, Php4.878 billion or 99.05% of the total budget allocated for the PAMANA Program has already been obligated.
OPAPRU’s budget proposal for next year that was submitted to the Department of Budget and Management amounted to Php 10.4 billion, of which only over Php 7 billion has been approved under the 2025 NEP for FY 2025.
