DBM hopes to submit spending plan to Congress by second week of Aug.

THE Department of Budget and Management (DBM) said it hopes to submit the proposed national budget for 2026 to Congress by the second week of August.

“The second week of August is tentative. No final date yet,” Budget Undersecretary Goddes Hope O. Libiran told BusinessWorld via Viber over the weekend.

The P6.793-trillion national expenditure program (NEP) for 2026 must be submitted to Congress within 30 days after the opening of the regular session of the legislature on July 28.

President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. approved the P6.793-trillion NEP on July 17.

The NEP is equivalent to 22% of gross domestic product and 7.4% higher than this year’s P6.326-trillion spending plan.

Separately, the DBM said the Right to Information bill is expected to be filed with the 20th Congress next month.

“Finalizing the executive version of the bill,” Budget Secretary Amenah F. Pangandaman told BusinessWorld via Viber.

She said the proposed bill seeks to hold officials accountable and ensures that government actions are subject to scrutiny.

“Among the salient features of the proposed bill is the expansion of the scope and coverage to include all branches of government, including local government units (LGUs), government-owned and -controlled corporations (GOCCs), state universities and colleges (SUCs), and private entities involved in public transactions,” Ms. Pangandaman said.

The proposed legislation sets clear and standardized timelines for processing information requests, she said.

Despite the right to information being enshrined in the 1987 Constitution, the government has yet to pass a Freedom of Information law.

“It also includes provisions which mandate all government agencies to proactively disclose government information and to uphold institutional accountability through ensuring the accuracy, integrity, and timelines of information government agencies disclose,” she added. — Aubrey Rose A. Inosante