2026 budget: For whom?

Malacaπang claimed that the 2026 General Appropriations Act is “the “cleanest and most proper” spending law passed.”

Some lawmakers lauded the P6.793 trillion budget for fiscal year 2026. Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III called it “by far the cleanest ever,” though opposition solons said pork barrel allocations remained.

Other lawmakers vowed, including House Speaker Bojie Dy, that they will make sure that every peso in the 2026 national budget is spent exactly as approved, that the government funds should go to the people.”

Do the lawmakers mean the budget should finally go to all deserving long-disadvantaged, abused Filipino people, not their own people in Congress and their dynasties?

Despite public outrage about corruption, DPWH still had the second biggest 2026 budget allocation as follows: 1) Department of Education — P1.015 trillion, 2) f Public Works and Highways — P530.9 billion, 3) Health — P448.1 billion, 4) Interior and Local Government — P310.5 billion, 5) National Defense — P310.0 billion, 6) Agriculture — P297.1 billion, 7) Social Welfare and Development — P270.2 billion, 8 Transportation — P141.0 billion, 9) Labor and Employment — P73.6 billion, and, 10) Judiciary — P70.6 billion.

Social Watch Philippines, a budget watchdog, called on BBM to veto several "highly questionable items" from the ratified 2026 national budget bill worth P319.04 billion” as follows:

i) P81.94 billion increase in the Basic Infrastructure Program (BIP) and the Sustainable

Infrastructure Projects Alleviating Gaps (SIPAG) program under the Convergence and Special Support Program (CSSP) (Department of Public Works and Highways); ii) P8.9 billion Farm-to-Market Roads (Department of Agriculture; iii) P10 billion Presidential Assistance for Farmers and Fisherfolk (DA),

“which duplicates funding/financial subsidies/assistance worth P8.55 billion already spread across existing DA programs/projects; iv) P2.73 billion for the Tulong Dunong Program (Commission on Higher Education) as CHED has already allocated P37.55 billion to cover the cost of universal access to tertiary education for all Filipino students enrolled in higher education institutions; v) P15.33 billion Disaster Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Assistance Program for Local Government Units or LGUs (National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Fund) which overlaps with other regular programs of the NDRRMF; vi) P23.048 million Philippine Pavilion at the 2026 United Nations Climate Conference (Climate Change Commission; vii) P5.25 billion Confidential funds (various agencies).

"As a general rule, civilian agencies must not engage in surveillance activities nor implement secret expenses. The President should lead by example by removing the confidential funds of his office”; viii) P138 billion for social protection and assistance programs with "questionable increases."

This is composed of DOH Medical Assistance to Indigent and Financially Incapacitated Patients P51.6 billion), DOLE’s Tulong Pangkabuhayan sa Ating Disadvantaged Workers P22.4 billion), and DSWD’s Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations P63.9 billion); ix) P56.873 billion Local Government Units assistance fund, the threefold bicam increase prone to patronage and political discretion; x) for the P138 billion “ayuda funds” and the P56.873B LGU assistance fund, SWP calls on PBBM to pass a supplemental budget immediately to revert the budget back to the National Expenditure Program levels of P63.4 billion and P6 billion, respectively.

Co-convenor Dr. Ma. Victoria Raquiza said- “the 2026 budget is not people-centered, despite what the Bicam Committee claims. It is extremely disappointing how Congress ignores the public’s anger over unprecedented levels of corruption and the alarming use of public funds to promote patronage politics."

From Senator Leila de Lima, “Vetoing a considerably significant amount—or any amount—in unprogrammed appropriations is NOT the point. It is still “shadow pork” with unprogrammed appropriations are unconstitutional. “

To ensure that this largest budget ever approved will reach, be finally used for the welfare of millions of poor Filipinos, everyone is enjoined to find time to study/review together the approved budget (including the vetoed portions - P92.5-B unprogrammed funds) and raise issues vs questionable allocations, and, remain vigilant especially regarding this 2026 budget implementation/ actual allocation/use/beneficiaries.