THE Department of Budget and Management (DBM) and the House Committee on Appropriations have agreed to remove ?35 billion worth of infrastructure projects from the 2026 unprogrammed appropriations to ensure transparency and prevent the misuse of lump-sum funds, according to House Committee on Appropriations Chairperson Rep. Mikaela Suansing.
‘So everyone was asking what we were going to do about the unprogrammed appropriations. The main point of contention was the release of infrastructure projects from these funds,’ Suansing said at the meeting of House Budget Amendments Review Subcommittee (BARC).
The formal removal of the ?35-billion infrastructure fund from the unprogrammed appropriations is expected to be approved on Friday during the period of amendments in the plenary.
She explained that the DBM concurred in the House panel’s proposal to exclude infrastructure projects from the Strengthening Assistance for Government Infrastructure and Social Programs (SAGIP) as a safeguard against potential misuse.
‘In the past, funds from SAGIP came to fund infrastructure projects, some of which were flood control projects. For 2026 and the coming years, there is no such thing anymore,’ Suansing said. ‘It means that infrastructure projects from SAGIP will no longer be funded.’
Under the 2026 National Expenditure Program (NEP), SAGIP was initially allotted ?80.86 billion. With the removal of infrastructure projects, the amount will be reduced to ?45 billion, focusing solely on social programs.
‘We removed ?35 billion under SAGIP,’ Suansing said. ‘This is the suggestion of the DBM and the Committee on Appropriations-to remove infrastructure from the strengthening assistance for government infrastructure and social programs.’
She clarified that unprogrammed appropriations are divided into two categories: SAGIP and support to foreign-assisted projects (FAPs). While infrastructure funding under SAGIP will be removed, projects under FAPs will remain to honor the Philippines’ commitments to foreign and multilateral partners such as the World Bank, Asian Development Bank (ADB), and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
‘The position of the DBM and the Committee on Appropriations is we would really have to retain the infrastructure projects under unprogrammed appropriations support to foreign-assisted projects, because we cannot renege on our commitments to our multilateral and bilateral partners,’ Suansing emphasized.
She added that members of the minority bloc welcomed the move, noting that it addressed their longstanding concern over the release of infrastructure projects under unprogrammed appropriations.
‘We have also relayed this to our colleagues in the minority and they are very happy with this special provision because that is what they have been raising again and again during the plenary deliberations-how to safeguard against the release of infrastructure projects from unprogrammed appropriations,’ she said.
To ensure balance, Suansing said the DBM requested an additional provision to cover the government’s counterpart funding for foreign-assisted projects.
‘If we are to remove infrastructure from SAGIP, it may be prudent to include an additional purpose for the government’s counterpart in foreign-assisted projects to cover the ?35 billion previously charged against SAGIP,’ she said.
Suansing said the removal of the ?35-billion infrastructure fund under SAGIP strengthens fiscal safeguards and ensures that unprogrammed appropriations are used strictly for social and development programs.