There is no "pork barrel" in the proposed P6.793-trillion national budget for 2026, the biggest budget measure in the country’s history.

Committee on Appropriations Chairperson Nueva Ecija 1st district Rep. Mikaela Angela "Mika" Suansing gave this categorical statement during press conference Monday, Oct. 20, exactly a week after the 2026 General Appropriations Bill (GAB) was approved on third and final reading by the House of Representatives.

"Sinisigurado po natin na wala pong pork barrel funds sa budget para sa taong 2026 (I guarantee that there's no pork barrel funds in the 2026 budget)," Suansing said.

"Alam ko po yung mga particular na programa na binabanggit po sa usapin na ito. Kadalasan po ang nadidinig ko yung AICS, MAIFIP at TUPAD (I know the particular programs that are being referred to in this issue. Usually I hear about Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation, Medical Assistance for Indigent and Financially Incapacitated Patients, and Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers)," she said.

In essence, pork barrel are discretionary or lump sum allocations in the budget measure that are prone to misuse or corruption. The Supreme Court (SC) declared such funds unconstitutional in a landmark decision in November 2013.

Another supposed telll-tale sign of corruption in the budget measure is post-enactment interventions. Suansing says there will be none of that in next year's outlay.

"And on the part of the House, we have always maintained that in terms of post-enactment interventions, the House never engages in post-enactment interventions," she said.

"Ibig sabihin po kapag na-approbahan na po ang budget, ang budget para sa mga programa na ito ay napupunta sa mga kanya-kanyang mga ahensya (This means that once the budget is approved, the funds for these programs are allocated to their respective agencies).

"Halimbawa po sa kaso ng AICS, nasa DSWD; sa kaso ng MAIFIP, nasa DOH; sa kaso ng TUPAD, nasa DOLE. So yan po, nandun po yan. At nasa discretion po ng ahensya kung papaano i-de-disperse ng ahensya," explained Suansing.

(For example, in the case of AICS, it falls under the Department of Social Welfare and Development; in the case of MAIFIP, under the Department of Health; and in the case of TUPAD, under the Department of Labor and Employment. So those are assigned accordingly. And it is at the discretion of each agency how they will disperse the funds.)

"They have their own internal guidelines, they have their own internal procedures as to how to disperse these funds," said Suansing, who added that Congress had no intervention as to the implementation of these programs.

"Another characteristic of pork barrel funds as it's known in the past would be its lump-sum nature. At kung nakita niyo naman po yan, naka-detalye po lahat ngayon. Wala pong mga nakatago na pondo, wala pong mga nakatago o mga nakabaon na mga programa," the Harvard graduate said about the 2026 GAB.

(And as you can see, everything is now detailed. There are no hidden funds, no concealed or buried programs.)

"Kaya po atin po maibibigay ang kasiguraduhan sa ating mga kababayan na wala pong pork barrel funds sa ating budget para sa taong 2026 at sa mga susunod na taon po sa ilalim po na aking liderato bilang chairperson ng Committee on Appropriations," Suansing said.

(That’s why we can give assurance to our fellow citizens that there are no pork barrel funds in our budget for the year 2026 and in the years to come under my leadership as chairperson of the Committee on Appropriations.)