Urging full transparency and greater investment in education and human capital, an advocacy group on Saturday, August 23, called on lawmakers to prioritize Filipinos over infrastructure as they tackle the 2026 budget. “We must allocate our resources where they matter most, because every peso...
Senator Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito has slammed what he said are “obviously political” cuts in the Department of Tourism’s (DOT) budget for promotions in recent years. Ejercito said that due to the budget cuts the Philippines’ competitiveness in the global tourism market suffered. “In...
Department of Budget and Management (DBM) Secretary Amenah F. Pangandaman said it has already ordered government agencies to submit their catch-up plans following its slowest spending in three quarters in the second quarter. “We already asked each agency to submit to us their catch-up plan,”...
Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero has recommended that governors and city mayors be invited to the Senate’s upcoming public hearings on the proposed 2026 national budget. Escudero said he has made the suggestion to Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian, chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance,...
The Senate Minority bloc will no longer allow their colleagues in the Senate to play “hide and seek” during deliberations on the proposed P6.793-trillion national budget for 2026. Senator Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri made the remark on Monday, August 18 assuring that the opposition senators...
The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) welcomed on Saturday, Aug. 16, the proposed P11 billion allocation under the 2026 national budget for its Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged Workers (TUPAD) program and other emergency employment initiatives. DOLE said the funding will...
The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) welcomed on Thursday, Aug. 14, the allocation of P40 billion for its revised modernization program under the proposed 2026 national budget. In a statement, the AFP said the allocation was a “clear statement of our nation’s resolve to protect its...
A group of education workers on Thursday, August 14, denounced the Marcos administration’s proposed P10.77 billion in confidential and intelligence funds (CIF) for 2026, branding them “pork barrel in disguise” and demanding their reallocation to education and social services. The Alliance of...
Malacañang explained that the Ayuda para sa Kapos ang Kita Program (AKAP) was not given a fresh allocation in the proposed 2026 national budget because nearly half of its 2025 funds remain unused. In a press briefing on Thursday, Aug. 14, Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro said the...
Senator Panfilo "Ping" Lacson on Wednesday, Aug. 13, scored an early win in his efforts to ensure transparency in the budget process, after he set two suggestions that Senate Finance Committee Chairman Sherwin Gatchalian agreed to. Following a "solution-finding discussion" on Wednesday morning,...
While the proposed 2026 national budget increased by more than seven percent, confidential and intelligence funds (CIF) were slashed by 11.2 percent, or ₱1.35 billion, from the existing national budget. Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman reported during the ceremonial turnover of the fiscal year...
In a bid for transparency, Senate Minority Leader Vicente “Tito” Sotto III wants all budget deliberations to be accessible to the public through livestreaming. Sotto had this to say he expressed full support for Concurrent Joint Resolution No. 4, filed by Senator Sherwin Gatchalian. Backed...
