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By Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio, Reporter
THE HOUSE of Representatives on Monday endorsed on final reading the proposed P6.793-trillion national budget for 2026, concluding 62 days of discussions characterized by intensified examination over an escalating corruption scandal related to flood control projects.
A majority of 287 legislators endorsed the modified budget bill that redirected the majority of resources from various flood control initiatives under the Public Works department to priority sectors like education, in a strategy aimed at enhancing human capital development.
Twelve legislators opposed the measure, while two chose to abstain from voting.
“This budget cycle is unprecedented,” Nueva Ecija Rep. Mikaela Angela B. Suansing, who presides over the House Appropriations Committee, stated on the floor. “We had to navigate through complexities while executing sweeping reforms in established budget processes and traditions.”
Lawmakers examined House Bill No. 4058 or the 2026 General Appropriations Act against the backdrop of the multibillion-peso flood control issue, attracting closer-than-normal scrutiny amid demands to enhance the budget process’s transparency.
The 2026 spending proposal, which was 7.4% greater than this year’s national budget, saw a special committee of lawmakers reallocating P201.1 billion or 78.86% of the P255 billion initially allocated for flood control infrastructure primarily toward education, food, and healthcare sectors.
The House sub-committee on Budget Amendments Review last week finalized a P56.6-billion boost in education sector funding under the proposed budget, raising total allocations to a record P1.28 trillion, Ms. Suansing noted.
This encompasses an increase in allocation for the Education department’s new classroom funding by P35.09 billion. “[This] will lead to around 25,200 new and repaired classrooms,” stated Ms. Suansing.
The sub-panel redirected approximately P90.7 billion to the health sector, with the majority of the funds going to the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) subsidy at P60 billion, following last year’s controversy regarding the government’s withdrawal of funds from the state health insurer.
It also elevated total health allocations by 28.3% to P411.2 billion from the P320.5 billion initially proposed by the Budget department. This includes a P26.73-billion increase for medical assistance to impoverished Filipinos.
Lawmakers boosted agriculture sector funding by 22.46% to P292.94 billion next year, as they aimed to enhance food security and elevate programs designed to support local producers.
Adjustments encompass increased funding for the Agriculture department’s farm-to-market road initiatives by P16.78 billion under the spending proposal. Legislators also elevated allocations for financial support to farmers to P10 billion from the initial P7 billion, which will aid 1.43 million farmers, Ms. Suansing indicated.
Lawmakers also incorporated a P10-billion increase for the Labor department’s displaced-worker initiative, raising it by 88.2% to P22.14 billion next year.
UNPROGRAMMED FUNDS
Simultaneously, the lower chamber eliminated P35 billion in unprogrammed appropriations earmarked for infrastructure initiatives, leaving only P45 billion of the P80 billion initially designated under the budget bill. This is part of the bill’s Strengthening Assistance for Government Infrastructure and Social Programs.
“Congress has removed infrastructure from the permissible uses for unprogrammed appropriations… a step aimed at averting potential misuse of these resources,” Ms. Suansing stated.
She noted that foreign-funded infrastructure projects would only qualify for standby funding, as the government must provide counterpart financing to support them.
“We cannot eliminate unprogrammed funding under foreign-assisted projects as we cannot disregard our agreements at the international level,” she added.
Legislators also endorsed a proposal last week from Deputy Minority Leader and Mamamayang Liberal Rep. Leila M. de Lima to reduce Vice-President Sara Duterte-Carpio’s budget to P733.2 million from the initial P902 million, reflecting a cut made during last year’s discussions.
“It appears that the reallocation of the P255 billion only strengthened ‘pork barrel’ politics,” AJ A. Montesa, an advisor at budget advocacy group People’s Budget Coalition, remarked in a Viber message prior to the spending proposal’s endorsement.
Mr. Montesa expressed that the prioritization of funding for the government’s assistance programs for impoverished Filipinos demonstrates that lawmakers remain committed to perpetuating patronage politics.
“While these initiatives are portrayed as ‘assistance’ for those in need, we must also acknowledge that they are predominantly motivated by patronage and clientelism,” Mr. Montesa stated.
“Congress should emphasize programs that are rules-based and rights-based, not those subject to the discretion of lawmakers and local officials… these ultimately serve to further entrench poverty and inequality,” he concluded.
While the reallocations suggest a transition towards human capital development and are “commendable in principle,” much hinges on whether the funds are utilized effectively and remain free from corruption, John Paolo R. Rivera, a senior research fellow at the Philippine Institute for Development Studies, stated in a Viber message.
IBON Foundation Executive Director Jose Enrique “Sonny” A. Africa cautioned that the spending proposal fails to furnish adequate support for essential sectors, warning that it underdelivers in addressing economic challenges amid decelerating growth.
“The budgets for education, health, housing, and social protection are touted as substantial, yet they remain significantly below what the underprivileged and middle class require,” Mr. Africa noted in a Viber message ahead of the budget bill’s endorsement. “Agriculture, particularly small Filipino enterprises, are also critically underserved.”
The administration aims for economic growth of 5.5-6.5% this year and 6-7% in 2026.
President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr.’s allies in the lower house likely acted to enhance funding in education, health, and agriculture as the government sought to mitigate dissatisfaction over the scandal surrounding infrastructure expenditure, asserted Arjan P. Aguirre, a political science instructor at the Ateneo de Manila University.
“These measures are intended to diffuse the tension, aimed at appeasing the already discontent populace,” he remarked in a Facebook messenger conversation.
The budget bill still awaits the Senate’s sanction before proceeding to the bicameral conference committee, where conflicting provisions from both the House and Senate versions will be reconciled. Once the final budget bill is ratified by Congress, it will be transmitted to Malacañang for the President’s endorsement.
Majority Leader and Ilocos Norte Rep. Ferdinand Alexander “Sandro” A. Marcos III stated that the lower chamber will act on a proposal to make the bicameral conference committee discussions on the proposed budget public “as soon as possible.”
“Given that the House has prioritized… the passage of the budget, we will ensure that once the… House has more opportunity, we will address the said resolution,” he told the House floor.
Budget watchdogs have urged lawmakers to subject the joint congressional committee to public examination, as the traditionally opaque process has kept citizens uninformed about last-minute alterations to the national budget.
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