Asian exports, including those from the Philippines, are seen remaining resilient in the second half of the year, contrary to earlier expectations that regional shipments would slump once front-loading ahead of United States (US) tariffs wane, according to the think tank Capital Economics....
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...
Certain districts received unexpected budget increases, which were not part of the agency’s vetted priority list, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) said on Thursday, Aug. 14. DPWH Secretary Manuel Bonoan said the additional allocations—particularly in Oriental Mindoro and...
Budget Secretary Amenah F. Pangandaman has assured that big-ticket foreign-assisted programs and projects will no longer suffer from delays, given the budget cover included in the proposed 2026 spending plan of the national government. For its part, aid agency Japan International Cooperation Agency...
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...
The government has proposed a ₱31-billion National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Fund (NDRRMF) or calamity fund for 2026, nearly 50-percent higher than this year’s allocation. According to the National Expenditure Program (NEP) for fiscal year (FY) 2026, the proposed calamity...
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...
Two major teachers’ groups on Wednesday, August 13, criticized Senator Raffy Tulfo for his recent remarks against Parent Teacher Associations (PTAs), urging him instead to direct his “gigil” toward addressing the government’s chronic underfunding of public schools. The Alliance of Concerned...
