Flood control funding is back. But its return to the proposed 2027 national budget should not be treated as a routine restoration of government spending. It should serve as a test of whether the state has learned anything from the scandal that badly damaged public trust in infrastructure projects....
No last-minute insertions or amendments will be allowed once the Senate and House of Representatives convene for the bicameral conference committee on the proposed 2027 national budget, Senate Finance Committee chief Sen. Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito said. Ejercito made this assurance after...
Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian on Tuesday, August 11 formally received the proposed P7.2-trillion national budget for 2027. The copy of the National Expenditure Program (NEP) was formally received by Gatchalian during a ceremonial turnover at the Senate, together with Finance Committee...
The government will formally submit to Congress on Tuesday, Aug. 11, the proposed P7.2-trillion National Expenditure Program (NEP) for 2027, setting in motion the next stage of the national budget process, Malacañang said Monday. Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Undersecretary Claire...
President Marcos has approved the 2027 national expenditure program (NEP), Malacañang disclosed. Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Secretary Dave Gomez bared this on Friday afternoon, July 10. "The Cabinet discussed and approved the 2027 national expenditure program as presented by the DBM...
Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo "Ping" Lacson on Saturday, Jan. 17, said that the so-called "allocables"--at least those motivated by commissions and kickbacks--are no better than planned or attempted robbery. Lacson says this is why it is important for the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee to...
The bicameral conference committee late Tuesday night, Dec. 17, approved the Office of the Vice President’s (OVP) proposed P889-million budget for 2026. "The Senate proposes the National Expenditure Program (NEP) level of P889 million," Senate Finance Committee Chairperson Senator Sherwin...
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...
There is a so-called “leadership fund” in the National Expenditure Program (NEP) which is included in the preparation of the government’s annual national budget. Former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) chief Manuel Bonoan disclosed this at the continuation of the Senate Blue...
Sen. Panfilo "Ping" M. Lacson on Tuesday, Sept. 9, showed proof of the involvement of a Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) official who allegedly called up and invited at least one lawmaker to make early insertions in the budget for 2026. In a privilege speech, Lacson presented a...
Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson on Thursday, September 4 said that while the House of Representatives cannot return the National Expenditure Program (NEP) for 2026 back to Malacañang to fix the “mangled” entries there, another option is available. For instance, Lacson said the Department of...
Senator Sherwin Gatchalian said on Saturday, Aug. 30, that he already flagged questionable allocations in the budget request of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) for 2026, similar to what Senator Panfilo "Ping" Lacson had already exposed. In an interview with DWIZ, Gatchalian...