Manila Council OKs P25 billion executive budget for 2026

MANILA, Philippines — The Manila city council has approved the proposed P25-billion executive budget for 2026, with 26 of 38 councilors voting in favor.

In a statement, Vice Mayor Chi Atienza lauded the passage of next year’s budget, saying it aligns with the call to focus on basic needs and provide social services, which are among the top priorities of the administration of Mayor Isko Moreno.

District 3 Councilor Timothy Oliver Zarcal, committee on appropriations chair, said the budget proves that the city government “has nothing to hide and has nothing to cut from the services our people deserve.”

Zarcal said the budget prioritizes the basic needs of Manila residents that include housing, health, education and jobs as well as provide for programs on public safety and economic recovery.

The city government is operating this year also on a P25-billion budget that was approved by the previous council – a move met with strong opposition and eventually divided the councilors into being supporters of Moreno and former mayor Honey Lacuna-Pangan.

The so-called opposition councilors who sided with Moreno accused the Lacuna-Pangan administration of railroading the 2025 budget as it allegedly did not undergo deliberations.