The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) was warned on Monday, September 1 not to become an “accessory” again by prioritizing flood control projects of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) over the country’s education sector in the P6.79 trillion national budget for 2026.

Sen. Panfilo “Ping” Lacson pointed this out as he pressed the Executive Department to prevent a repeat of last year's congressional “miracle” where the education sector’s budget was overtaken by the DPWH in violation of the Constitution.

“You need to remind legislators not to realign too much because we may be violating the Constitution. When you potentially violate the Constitution, that's a major, major, major issue,” Lacson told DBM Secretary Amenah Pangandaman in Filipino during the Development Budget Coordination Committee (DBCC) hearing on the 2026 National Expenditure Program (NEP).

It can be recalled that for 2025, the DPWH’s budget surpassed that of the education sector, getting P1.007 trillion budget, while the Department of Education (DepEd), State Colleges and Universities (SUCs), Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and Technical Education Skills Development Authority (TESDA) had to contend with a P977.6 billion budget.

Under Art. XIV, Sec. 5 (5) of the Constitution, the State shall assign the highest budgetary priority to education and ensure that teaching attracts and retains the best talent through adequate remuneration and other means of job satisfaction and fulfillment.

To correct the shift, the DBM “added” to the education sector institutions outside the President’s budget message, such as the Local Government Academy, Philippine National Police Academy (PNPA), Philippine Public Safety College, National Defense College of the Philippines, Philippine Military Academy (PMA), Philippine Science High School System (PSHS), and the Science Education Institute.

“Why did we allow the DPWH to get a bigger budget than the education sector? I hate to say this but the DBM became an accessory after the fact, to justify the congressional miracle where the education sector's budget was slashed,” Lacson remarked.

During the hearing, Pangandaman argued that the Constitution does not categorically define the education sector, but Lacson replied that the President's 2026 budget message indicated the education sector's budget covers only the DepEd, SUCs, CHED, and TESDA.

Thus, he said, the DBM ought to be “consistent next time” and not allow a repeat of what happened last year.

Lacson said a closer coordination between the Legislative Branch and the Executive Branch, especially at the bicameral conference committee where major realignments occur, is a must.

“Watch the progress of the budget bill, especially at the bicameral conference committee. We know that is where the biggest realignments occur,” said the senator who earlier exposed anomalous flood control projects of the DPWH.

Lacson also said that if Congress again mangles the budget bill to favor the DPWH or other agencies, the President should veto the “excess” amount, to which Pangandaman said “We agree.”

“My suggestion is that if Congress again mangles the budget, the President should veto the amount exceeding the budget of the education sector so that the budget of the DPWH or any other agency will not be bigger than that of the education sector, since the executive department cannot realign funds,” Lacson said.

For his part, Sen. Paolo “Bam” Aquino IV said he is inclined to move for the deletion of the entire P270 billion allocation for flood control projects in the 2026 national budget if the government fails to properly identify and allocate it to flood-prone areas.

“If that is not corrected. Kung hindi iyon ayusin base sa talagang pinaka-flood prone areas (If it will not really go to fix the most flood prone areas), my inclination is to just delete the whole (flood control) budget,” Aquino said during the DBCC briefing

Aquino said this challenge of coming up with a credible and needs-based flood control budget will fall on the shoulders of newly appointed DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon, who replaced the beleaguered Manuel Bonoan.

“The challenge I posed to him (Bonoan) and now will be the challenge of Secretary Dizon is to come back to the Senate before the end of the budget and to come up with a real flood control budget,” said Aquino, vice chairperson of the Senate Finance Committee.

“Hindi iyong naka-divide based on districts, but naka-allocate based on true needs and true flooding problems (Not divided based on districts, but allocated based on true needs and true flooding problems),” he added.

Aquino said that after the DPWH presents a clear flood control plan, he expects a significant surplus in the budget, which can then be redirected to other critical areas such as education and healthcare.

“We know, we have our classroom problems, we have internet connectivity problems in our schools. Marami tayong problema sa eskuwelahan natin (We have so many problems in our schools). Definitely, the education budget needs to be supported further,” he stressed.

Aquino also underscored the need to strengthen funding for the Universal Healthcare Act (UHC) principally sponsored by Sen. Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito, to ensure its proper and full implementation.