MANILA - The Department of National Defense (DND) is asking Congress to approve its proposed P258 billion budget for 2020, which also covers the funds for the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).

Based on the National Expenditure Program (NEP) for next year, P68.70 billion will go to retired servicemen's pensions, if the proposed budget is approved, leaving about P188.6 billion for the regular budget.

The Philippine Army will get P90 billion, General Headquarters (GHQ) will have P36.83 billion, the Philippine Navy will get P29.02 billion, and the Philippine Air Force will be allotted P25.9 billion.

Of the GHQ’s budget, P25 billion will be allotted for the AFP Modernization Program, such as buying new weapons and equipment, while P1.18 billion will be alloted for its intelligence funds.

The intelligence funds of the DND and the AFP are broken down are as follows:

• Office of the Secretary - P10 million
• Philippine Army - P444 million
• Philippine Air Force - P17 million
• Philippine Navy - P39.7 million
• General Headquarters - P1.18 billion

Also, Veterans Memorial Medical Center will be allotted P1.6 billion, the Government Arsenal will get P1.28 billion, the Office of Civil Defense will have P1.21 billion, the Philippine Veterans Affairs Office gets P567.45 million, the Office of the Secretary gets P517.21 million, and the National Defense College of the Philippines will have P10.75 million.

The DND ranks 4th in the top 10 government departments with the highest allocations in the 2020 budget.

- Report from RG Cruz, ABS-CBN News