NATIONAL BUDGET

MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has officially submitted the proposed P6.793 trillion national budget for 2026 to Congress, initiating the annual budget process. This proposed budget, outlined in the National Expenditure Program (NEP), is 7.4 percent higher than this year’s P6.362 trillion budget.

Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman led the turnover ceremony, presenting the documents to leaders from both the Senate and the House of Representatives. Senate President Francis Escudero, Senate Majority Leader Joel Villanueva, and Senator Alan Peter Cayetano received the budget for the Senate, while House Speaker Martin Romualdez accepted it for the House.

Priorities and allocations

The proposed budget prioritizes social services, with a total allocation of P2.3 trillion for sectors such as education, health, and social protection. According to the DBM, the largest single share goes to education, receiving P928.5 billion. This is followed by public works with P881.3 billion and health with P320.5 billion.

Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, head of the Senate finance committee, has already dubbed the proposal the “education budget,” highlighting its alignment with the constitutional mandate to give education the “highest budgetary priority.” He noted that the Development Budget Coordination Committee (DBCC) meeting on the proposed funding is scheduled for August 27.

Budget process and reforms

House Speaker Romualdez announced several reforms aimed at increasing transparency in the budget process. These include:

• Abolishing the “small committee” that previously handled institutional amendments.
• Opening bicameral conference committee deliberations on the budget to the public and the media.
• Inviting civil society, people’s organizations, and the private sector to participate in budget hearings.

Romualdez emphasized that the national budget “is not owned by politicians” but is the people’s money. He vowed that lawmakers will review every part of the NEP to ensure it benefits the Filipino people.

Both chambers of Congress have adjusted their legislative calendar to accommodate the timely deliberation and approval of the budget. They will now work until October 10 instead of the previous schedule of sessions until October 3.

President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has previously warned Congress that he will not sign any budget bill that is not aligned with the administration’s programs. He stated that he would return any General Appropriations Bill not in line with the NEP, even if it leads to a reenacted budget. Senator Gatchalian has expressed confidence that the 2026 budget can be approved before the Christmas break if it adheres to the President’s pronouncements.