CONGRESSMEN on Tuesday kicked off plenary debates on the proposed P6.793-trillion national budget for 2026, against the backdrop of ongoing investigations into anomalous flood control projects and anti-corruption protests.
The House Committee on Appropriations approved House Bill No. 4058 or the General Appropriations bill, with 54 voting in favor and six against. Four lawmakers abstained.
“When citizens witness budgets that do not match their realities, when funds fail to reach those who need them most, confidence in government collapses,” Appropriations Committee chairperson and Nueva Ecija Rep. Mikaela Angela B. Suansing said during her sponsorship speech.
The budget bill reached the House floor after 37 days of committee hearings, with deliberations marked by reforms aimed at enhancing transparency and restoring public trust in the budget process.
Ms. Suansing has abolished the opaque “small committee” consisting of select congressmen that previously consolidated budget amendments, replacing it with a sub-committee.
The House sub-committee on Budget Amendments Review (BARC) had reallocated about P255-billion flood control funds meant for the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to the Education, Health and Social Welfare departments.
“That P255 billion has been redirected to urgent needs — education, healthcare, agriculture and food security,” said Ms. Suansing.
The budget panel added P26.5 billion to the Education department’s budget, with P22.5 billion earmarked for classroom construction and P1.88 billion for school feeding programs, among others.
Ms. Suansing said the higher budget could fund the construction of 20,000 classrooms nationwide.
“Education stands as the single-largest priority in the fiscal year 2026 budget, with over P1.17 trillion, or 17.22% of the national budget,” she said, noting the proposed spending level is “the clearest sign that we are investing in the future of our children.”
Lawmakers also hiked the Health department’s budget by P29.28 billion, with P26.73 billion going towards the agency’s medical assistance program for poor patients and P2.4 billion to fund the construction of key government hospitals nationwide.
Around 1.27 million Filipinos could benefit from the increased budget for the Health department’s medical assistance for indigent patients, Ms. Suansing said.
About P60 billion was also channeled to the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth), serving as the government’s subsidy for the state health insurer.
Ms. Suansing said the additional funds could expand the government’s zero-balance billing policy in public hospitals but warned the health insurer to not use these funds for “income-generating initiatives.”
Congressmen added P35.91 billion to the budget of the Social Welfare department. Broken down, P32.06 billion will go to the emergency cash aid program for indigent Filipinos and P3 billion for its sustainable livelihood program.
Lawmakers also rechanneled P39.36 billion to the Agriculture department’s proposed budget, including P8.89 billion for farm-to-market roads, P8.69 billion for post-harvest facilities and P7 billion for P7,000 cash aid to farmers and fisherfolk.
The decision to reallocate the entire P255 billion originally earmarked for flood control projects is a “knee-jerk reaction” that could delay the implementation of critical flood infrastructure in Metro Manila, Senior Deputy Minority Leader and Caloocan Rep. Edgar R. Erice told lawmakers, explaining his vote against the budget bill at the committee level.
“The removal of the P255 billion from the Public Works department is a knee-jerk reaction that will forego well-studied projects that have been awaited by our people,” he said.
Meanwhile, civil society groups on Tuesday accused the House sub-committee of budget maneuvering, alleging it convened without prior notice to reallocate billions of pesos in public funds in the budget.
“What happened yesterday (on Monday) is not an oversight. It is betrayal,” a joint statement by civil organizations, including IBON Foundation GoodGovPH and FOI Youth Initiative stated.
The reallocation of DPWH funds follows allegations of irregularities in flood control projects, including substandard, incomplete or nonexistent infrastructure.
“The BARC, meant to scrutinize realignments, has become a rubber stamp,” the civic groups said. “Amendments are texted to Congress members at the last minute, realignments are rushed and the committee proceeds to plenary deliberations without giving anyone adequate time to study the full picture.”
Ms. Suansing said lawmakers have been “very, very transparent in every step of the way.”
Lawmakers are expected to approve the budget bill on second reading in October, and by final reading after sessions resume in November.
The House plans to deliberate on the proposed national budget until Oct. 1, with the remaining session days until Oct. 10 reserved for finalizing amendments, according to a copy of the chamber’s schedule shared with reporters. — Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio
