DBM inks deal to expand green spaces

THE Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has signed an agreement with government agencies to expand green public spaces across the country.

On Thursday, Budget Secretary Amenah F. Pangandaman signed the memorandum of understanding and orientation implementation of the 2025 Local Government Support Fund-Green Green Green Program in Manila.

“A total of 54 beneficiaries for 2025, and 75 beneficiaries last year. We will have beneficiaries too for 2026,” she told reporters.

This program seeks to support beneficiary provinces, cities, and municipalities in promoting green open spaces and infrastructure, under the Build Better More program.

The government allotted P700 million, charged under the P23-billion Local Government Support Fund in the 2025 General Appropriations Act.

Launched in 2017, the Green Green Green Program promotes livable and sustainable communities through projects such as bike lanes, pedestrian walkways, sports facilities, and recreational trails.

From 2018 to 2021, the DBM funded 391 projects under the initiative.

This will also fund the construction of infrastructure for active mobility such as physically separated bicycle lanes, bike racks, elevated or at-grade pedestrian footpaths and walkways, sports facilities, and recreational trails.

Among the signatories were Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development Secretary Jose Ramon P. Aliling, and Metropolitan Manila Development Authority Chair Romando S. Artes. — Aubrey Rose A. Inosante