House OKs record P6.79-T 2026 budget, keeps billions in 'pork' intact

MANILA, Philippines — The House of Representatives has approved on third and final reading its version of the proposed P6.79-trillion national budget for 2026, keeping in place hundreds of billions in unprogrammed appropriations that the Senate has vowed to zero out when the measure reaches their chamber. 

Lawmakers on Monday, October 13 voted 287-12 for the General Appropriations Bill on third and final reading, with two abstentions. The spending plan is the largest in the country’s history and also includes an education budget that equals to some 4.1% of the gross domestic product, crossing the 4% international benchmark for the first time.

But the bill’s retention of around P214 billion in unprogrammed funds — amounts that can be tapped only when excess revenues or new financing become available — has drawn backlash from opposition lawmakers who voted against the budget bill on Monday. 

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Budget experts and watchdogs have long warned against the bloat of standby funds under the Marcos administration due to its lack of transparency, especially when compared to just having projects as line items in the budget.  

Intact despite opposition. Senate President Tito Sotto has already said he would push to remove the allocations, which total about P214 billion after earlier cuts by the House. Senate finance committee chair Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian is expected to lead the upper chamber’s scrutiny once the bill reaches the Senate floor later this month.

The House last week rejected a motion by Rep. Chel Diokno (Akbayan) to completely zero out the unprogrammed appropriations. House appropriations panel chair Rep. Mikaela Suansing (Nueva Ecija) said the subcommittee for budget amendments had already cut P35 billion worth of infrastructure projects from the fund and argued that the remaining amount was needed to cover commitments under foreign-assisted projects that were not included in the main budget.

However, in voting against the House's version of the budget, Rep. Cielo Krisel Lagman (Albay, 1st District) said she remained "disturbed" by the inclusion of unprogrammed appropriations, which remain prone to abuse in its current form.

The lawmaker said she'd only accept unprogrammed appropriations if Congress stops three abuses: lawmakers sneaking in pet projects through "arbitrary insertions," moving already-budgeted funds into the unprogrammed appropriations, and padding the standby funds beyond what the executive branch proposed — which happened in 2024 and 2025.

'Pork barrel.' Similarly, Rep. Antonio Tinio (ACT Teachers), House deputy minority leader, tagged the funds as "presidential pork barrel" that President Ferdinand Marcos  Jr. can spend on his own say-so. Rep. Sarah Elago (Gabriela Partylist) pegged the unprogrammed funds as having "no clear beneficiaries" and "a pork feast for the powerful and scraps for the people."

The House earlier realigned P255 billion away from flood control projects amid an ongoing probe into anomalous public works projects. About P102 billion went to social services: P32.6 billion for the Department of Social Welfare and Development's crisis assistance program, P14.82 billion for TUPAD jobs for disadvantaged workers, and P56 billion for science high schools, higher education agencies, and state universities.