Philippine defence budget to rise 7.87% in 2022; govt announce Filipinos have been evacuated from Afghanistan

MANILA, Aug. 17 (Xinhua): The Philippines' Department of National Defence (DND) will receive 222 billion pesos (US$4.39 billion in the largest ever proposed national budget for 2022, presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said on Tuesday.

The proposed defence budget saw a 7.87 per cent increase compared with the amount of 205.8 billion pesos in 2021.

In a televised press conference, Roque said the defence department is one of the five sectors that will receive the highest allocation in next year's proposed national budget standing at 5.024 trillion pesos.

Roque said the 2022 proposed budget is equivalent to 22.8 percent of the country's gross domestic product and 11.5 per cent higher than 2021 budget.

Aside the defence sector, the social service sector or those in health-related services and education-related programs will also get high allocation, followed by the economic services sector or the flagship infrastructure programs under the "Build, Build, Build" programme.

Meanwhile, 35 Filipinos evacuated from Afghanistan arrived in the Philippine capital Manila on Tuesday, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said.

"The 35 Filipinos from Afghanistan, (whose) respective companies evacuated to Doha, Qatar, joined the DFA chartered plane from Doha to Manila," the DFA said in a brief statement, adding that 132 more Filipinos were awaiting evacuation from Afghanistan.

The Philippines started moving out its citizens from Afghanistan on Sunday as the Taliban gained control of the country. On Sunday, the DFA issued an alert level 4 for Afghanistan "due to the uncertain security situation in the country."