The Department of Education (DepEd) is poised to accelerate major education reforms in 2026 after the Senate approved a significantly higher budget for the agency, signaling strong support for DepEd Secretary Sonny Angara and the Marcos administration’s push to improve learning outcomes...
Senator Rodante Marcoleta raised questions over whether the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) dozen major interventions—amounting to P212.5 billion under the Senate version of the 2026 national budget—are reaching their intended beneficiaries and meaningfully reducing...
Manila Mayor Francisco "Isko Moreno" Domagoso apologized to Manileños over the lack of Christmas decors, particularly Christmas lanterns (parol) adorned across the streets in Manila on Monday, Nov. 24, as he explained he had to prioritize the allocation of funds for social aid and the payment of...
Makati City Mayor Nancy Binay has signed the city 's budget for next year worth P21 billion, reinforcing the city’s commitment to delivering efficient, people-centered, and future-ready programs for all residents. Several local government officials were also present during the event...
Spending on hard infrastructure fell by almost a third in the third quarter, simultaneously missing the government’s target to ramp up disbursements for the period, as public spending faced tighter scrutiny in the aftermath of the flood-control scandal. Data from the Department of Budget and...
Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo "Ping" Lacson underscored on Saturday, Nov. 22, that the Senate will not allow the reenactment next year of the 2025 national budget--the same budget that had earlier been described as corrupt to the core. Lacson says this is why the Senate is adopting measures...
Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan has proposed the inclusion of transparency and accountability mechanisms in the irrigation projects implemented by the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) in a bid to prevent the repeat of anomalous flood control projects. The senator, who heads the...
Senator Loren Legarda has called for full transparency on the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation 's (PhilHealth) funding during the deliberations on the proposed 2026 national budget, stressing that mandated subsidies must be properly allocated and released. In her interpellation on the...
Senator Rodante Marcoleta pressed anew Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla regarding statements suggesting that it was acceptable to “bend the law” so long as it was not broken. During the Senate’s plenary deliberations on the proposed 2026 budget of the Office of the Ombudsman on Friday, Nov....
Senator Erwin Tulfo on Thursday, Nov. 20, asked the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) whether it plans to build any new irrigation systems or dams in 2026, noting that the agency is still dealing with a long list of unfinished contracts. During his interpellation on NIA’s proposed...
Senator Raffy Tulfo grilled officials of the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) on Thursday, Nov. 20, asking them to explain alleged defects in the Bulo Small Reservoir Irrigation Project (Bulo SRIP) in Bulacan despite the agency’s claim that the facility had already been rehabilitated. ...
Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano has urged the Senate to increase the budget of the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) for 2026, citing its critical role in supporting millions of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs). During the Senate deliberation on the DMW’s proposed 2026 budget on...
