BOOK VI

National Government Budgeting

CHAPTER 1

General Provisions

SECTION 1. Constitutional Policies on the Budget.—(1) All appropriations,

revenue or tariff bills, bills authorizing increase of the public debt, bills of
local application, and private bills shall originate exclusively in the House of
Representatives but the Senate may propose or concur with amendments.

(2) The Congress may not increase the appropriations recommended by the
President for the operation of the Government as specified in the budget.
The form, content and manner of preparation of the budget shall be
prescribed by law.

(3) No provision or enactment shall be embraced in the general

appropriations bill unless it relates specifically to some particular
appropriation to which it relates.

(4) The procedures in approving appropriations for the Congress shall strictly
follow the procedure for approving appropriations for other departments and
agencies.

(5) A special appropriations bill shall specify the purpose for which it is
intended, and shall be supported by funds actually available as certified by
the National Treasurer or to be raised by a corresponding revenue proposal
therein.

(6) No law shall be passed authorizing any transfer of appropriations.

However, the President, the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the
House of Representatives, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court and the
heads of Constitutional Commissions may, by law, be authorized to augment
any item in the general appropriations laws for their respective offices from
savings in other items of their respective appropriations.

(7) Discretionary funds appropriated for particular official shall be disbursed

only for public purposes to be supported by appropriate vouchers and
subject to such guidelines as may be prescribed by law.

(8) If, by the end of any fiscal year, the Congress shall have failed to pass the
general appropriations bill for the ensuing fiscal year, the general
appropriations law for the preceding fiscal year shall be deemed reenacted
and shall remain in force and effect until the general appropriations bill is
passed by the Congress.

(9) Fiscal autonomy shall be enjoyed by the Judiciary, Constitutional

Commissions, Office of the Ombudsman, Local Government and Commission
on Human Rights.

SECTION 2. Definition of Terms.—When used in this Book:

(1) “Appropriation” refers to an authorization made by law or other legislative

enactment, directing payment out of government funds under specified
conditions or for specified purposes.

(2) “Allotment” refers to an authorization issued by the Department of the

Budget to an agency, which allows it to incur obligations for specified
amounts contained in a legislative appropriation.

(3) “Budget” refers to a financial plan required to be prepared pursuant to

Section 16(1), Article VIII of the Constitution, reflective of national objectives,
strategies and programs.

(4) “Current operating expenditures” refers to appropriations for the

purchase of goods and services for current consumption or for benefits
expected to terminate within the fiscal year.

(5) “Capital outlay” or “capital expenditures” refers to an appropriation for

the purchase of goods and services, the benefits of which extend beyond the
fiscal year and which add to the assets of the Government, including
investments in the capital of government-owned or controlled corporations
and their subsidiaries.

(6) “Continuing appropriation” refers to an appropriation available to support

obligations for a specified purpose or project, even when these obligations
are incurred beyond the budget year.

(7) “Expected result” means service, product, or benefit that will accrue to
the public, estimated in terms of performance measures or targets.

(8) “Fiscal year” refers to the period beginning with the first day of January
and ending with the thirty-first day of December of each calendar year.

(9) The “Government” means the National Government, including the

Executive, the Legislative and the Judicial Branches, and the Constitutional
Commissions.
(10) “Department and agency” and “department or agency” include all
departments, bureaus, offices, boards, commissions, courts, tribunals,
councils, authorities, administrations, centers, institutes, state colleges and
universities, and all other establishments and instrumentalities of the
National Government as defined in the preceding paragraph.

(11) “Obligation” refers to an amount committed to be paid by the

Government for any lawful act made by an authorized officer for and in
behalf of the government.

(12) “Program” refers to the functions and activities necessary for the
performance of a major purpose for which a government agency is
established.

(13) “Project” means a component of a program covering a homogenous

group of activities that results in the accomplishment of an identifiable
output.

Executive Order No. 292

ADMINISTRATIVE CODE OF 1987