P37.49 billion ‘pork barrel’ for LGUs flagged

MANILA, Philippines — Makabayan lawmakers have condemned the Marcos administration for its handling of the proposed P7.2-trillion national budget for 2027, saying it still reeks of pork barrel funds allotted to local government units.

Rep. Antonio Tinio has criticized the administration’s “brazen distribution” of special allotment release orders (SAROs) to local officials, flagging a P37.49-billion hike in alleged pork barrel funds under the Local Government Support Fund (LGSF).

He said this can be found in the financial assistance to local government units (LGUs) under the 2026 General Appropriations Act, which had “ballooned” to such a “staggering amount.”

The original 2026 National Expenditure Program (NEP) only contained P5 billion for such item, he pointed out.

“At the time, we called this LGU pork. The total LGSF for 2026 reached P68 billion, far higher than the original proposal from the executive. Why did it balloon to P37.49 billion for Financial Assistance to LGUs, when it was just P5 billion in the NEP?” Tinio said.

“It is true that the 2027 budget is flooded with pork barrel funds. Now, they also have SARO pork barrel giveaways too. Clearly, this is a vehicle for congressional insertions and the patronage politics that come with it,” he added.

But the League of Municipalities of the Philippines (LMP) assured the public that “strict safeguards” are in place to keep the proposed P58.32-billion LGSF for 2027 free from political favoritism, ensuring that LGUs get their fair share.

The amount is so far the biggest LGSF budget allocation in Philippine history, according to LMP national president and Echague, Isabela Mayor Faustino Dy V.

Rules set by the Department of Budget and Management should ensure that LGUs receive their fair share regardless of political affiliation, Dy said.

OP budget quickly approved

Citing institutional and inter-branch courtesy, the House appropriations committee has swiftly approved the Office of the President (OP)’s proposed P10.15-billion budget for 2027.

Of the amount, about P4.5 billion is for confidential and intelligence expenses.

Executive Secretary Ralph Recto explained that the OP’s proposed budget is 64 percent lower than its 2026 budget, citing lower operational requirements of its delivery units and the completion of activities related to the country’s hosting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Summit.

Tinio had argued that the OP should explain why almost half of its budget proposal is for confidential funds.

The House panel approved the budget and terminated further discussions and interpellations in less than 20 minutes.

DA eyes lower budget

The Department of Agriculture (DA) is seeking a lower overall budget for 2027, with allocations for farm-to-market roads (FMRs) seeing a P17-billion cut but giving larger share for locally funded and foreign-assisted projects despite a history of weak program spending, a budget watchdog warned.

Based on the 2027 NEP, the DA’s budget is set to fall by nearly eight percent, to P171.32 billion from P185.77 billion under the 2026 General Appropriations Act, even as food security and rising farm-input costs remain key concerns.

But People’s Budget Coalition co-convenor AJ Montesa called for attention on the lower FMR allocation and growing locally funded and foreign-assisted project portfolio.

The FMR budget was slashed to P16 billion from P33 billion in 2026.

Montesa noted that the DA’s locally funded and foreign-assisted program secured P76.87 billion for 2027, a P5.3-billion increase from P71.61 billion this year, even as the projects have historically posted weak spending rates.

Timothy Salomon, program officer at Task Force Mapalad – a national federation of farmers, farm workers and advocates – questioned the need for the DA to source nearly half of its program budget from foreign-assisted projects.

Salomon called on Congress to “remove all pork barrels, put the people’s money where the President’s mouth is.”

Most of the agencies attached to the DA are facing budget cuts. The Philippine Carabao Center’s budget fell by nearly 34 percent, to P1.37 billion. The National Meat Inspection Service slipped by 48.9 percent, to P346.25 million.

The Agricultural Credit Policy Council went down by 8.1 percent, to P2.86 billion. The Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority was cut by 37.6 percent, to P264.03 million.

However, the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources’ proposed budget grew by 4.1 percent, to P12.25 billion from P11.76 billion this year. — Daphne Galvez, Aubrey Rose Inosante