THE House of Representatives on Monday approved on third and final reading the proposed P6.793-trillion General Appropriations Bill (GAB) for fiscal year 2026. Proponents described it as transparent, clean, and sufficient to ensure fiscal stability, with programs that will benefit every Filipino, but other lawmakers denounced it as a continuation of the ‘corrupt pork barrel system’ and unprogrammed funds.
With 287 votes in favor, 12 against, and 2 abstentions, lawmakers passed House Bill 4058, or the 2026 GAB, which will fund key government programs and projects aimed at sustaining economic growth, improving public services, and addressing inflationary and climate-related challenges.
The 2026 GAB now heads to the Senate, which will conduct its own deliberations before convening with the House in a bicameral conference committee to finalize the spending plan in time for President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s signing before the year’s end.
House Committee on Appropriations Chairperson Mikaela Suansing said the 2026 national budget is ‘truly responsive to the needs of the Filipino people’ and ‘a budget that Congress can be proud of.’
The total education budget for 2026 will reach a historic P1.28 trillion-the first time the Philippines exceeds the 4 percent of GDP benchmark for education, reaching 4.1 percent.
The health sector will receive a total of P411.2 billion, while the agriculture budget totals P292.9 billion.
Suansing emphasized reforms to ensure transparency and prevent misuse of unprogrammed appropriations. Infrastructure projects such as flood control, bridges, and roads are no longer eligible under the renamed ‘Strengthening Assistance for Government Social Programs,’ which now only covers social programs in education, health, and social protection. Only Foreign-Assisted Projects (FAPs) remain eligible due to international agreements.
House Majority Leader Ferdinand Alexander ‘Sandro’ Marcos said the passage of the national budget would be carried out with accountability and efficiency.
‘We’ve been making sure every peso goes to the exact agency it’s supposed to,’ Marcos said. ‘Given that the House is prioritizing the budget, the committee will address other pending measures, such as House Joint Resolution No. 2, once we have more time. We want to make sure that both chambers are in agreement on transparency in the budget process.’
The resolution seeks to institutionalize transparency during the bicameral conference committee deliberations that reconcile differences between the House and Senate versions of the budget.
In his speech before the House of Representatives adjourned for a month-long break, Speaker Faustino ‘Bojie’ Dy III said the P6.793-trillion national budget approved on third and final reading reflects a government united in purpose and focused on delivering tangible results for the Filipino people.
‘Under this budget, we have responded to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s call to strengthen the key sectors of our society, particularly education, health, and social welfare,’ the Speaker said.
‘Each project has been carefully reviewed to ensure that it reaches the areas and sectors that need it the most,’ Dy added.
He described the 2026 spending plan as the result of efforts to make the budget process more transparent, ‘isang budget na ginawa sa liwanag, hindi sa dilim; na pinagtuunan ng sapat na oras, at nangibabaw ang puso at isip-hindi ang pansariling interes [a budget crafted in the light, not in darkness; for which enough time was devoted, and for which heart and soul, not personal interest, prevails.’
The House has adjourned and is set to reconvene on November 10.
‘No votes’
The Makabayan bloc voted no to the proposed P6.793-trillion General Appropriations Bill (GAB), denouncing it as a continuation of the ‘corrupt pork barrel system’ despite the ongoing trillion-peso flood control scandal.
In a statement, the progressive lawmakers said the measure ‘brazenly perpetuates a system of plunder’ that has siphoned off billions of pesos from public coffers through more than 9,000 flood control projects implemented since 2022.
The Makabayan bloc is composed of ACT Teachers Rep. Antonio Tinio, Gabriela Rep. Sarah Elago, and Kabataan Rep. Renee Co.
According to lawmakers, the ‘presidential pork’ alone amounts to P281 billion, including P243 billion in Unprogrammed Appropriations-a funding mechanism that ballooned in previous years and allegedly became a major source of funds for ghost and overpriced projects.
They added that the P10.9-billion Confidential and Intelligence Funds (CIF) remain ‘grotesquely inflated,’ with the Office of the President keeping the largest share at P4.5 billion, while the NTF-ELCAC’s P8.08-billion Barangay Development Fund also remains intact.
Makabayan also alleged that P415 billion constitutes ‘legislative pork,’ coursed mainly through the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and other agencies.
The bloc said that through the DPWH’s district offices, P174.6 billion will be distributed as ‘allocables,’ roughly P230 million per congressional district and P3.2 billion per senator.
Other allocations allegedly open to congressional discretion include P32.6 billion for farm-to-market roads, P35.1 billion for school buildings, P20.2 billion for health facilities, and P9.6 billion for irrigation projects.
On top of this, lawmakers also supposedly have access to P130.4 billion in ‘ayuda’ funds, such as medical assistance, scholarships, and livelihood programs-resources that, according to Makabayan, are used to ‘build political machinery and buy loyalty.’
Although serving as vice chairman of the House Committee on Appropriations, Batangas Rep. Leandro Leviste voted against the 2026 GAB, citing ongoing corruption risks within the DPWH.
In explaining his no vote, Leviste acknowledged the committee’s reallocation of P255 billion from DPWH projects toward critical sectors such as health, education, and agriculture. However, he warned that the remaining P624 billion in DPWH funds remains vulnerable to misuse.
‘Almost 100 percent of DPWH biddings across the country are subject to corruption,’ Leviste said, quoting former DPWH Undersecretary Roberto Bernardo. He stressed that unless reforms are implemented, overpricing and kickbacks will continue.
Leviste urged the House to reduce DPWH project costs by 25 percent, potentially cutting P150 billion in possible kickbacks. ‘Even if a congressman does not receive a kickback from DPWH projects in his district, DPWH personnel can still benefit from inflated project costs,’ he explained.
Highlighting the budgetary inequity, Leviste also pointed out that Region 4A-which includes Batangas, Cavite, Laguna, Quezon, and Rizal-accounts for nearly 15 percent of the country’s population and GDP but receives only 10 percent of DPWH funds. He advocated for a larger allocation for these districts in the next budget iteration.
While giving credit to the Committee on Appropriations for improvements over previous budgets, Leviste said more must be done to ensure transparency, accountability, and fairness in public works funding.
Before SC
Caloocan Rep. Edgar R. Erice vowed to question the constitutionality of unprogrammed funds (UF) in the budget, if Congress approves the budget containing such allocations.
‘Unprogrammed funds violate the Constitution and mislead the public with false promises of funding,’ Erice said in a statement.
Section 22, Article VII of the 1987 Constitution requires that the President submit a Budget of Expenditures and Sources of Financing (BESF) to Congress and that the GAA be based on it. He argued that UFs lack a definite source of financing, making their inclusion in the national budget unconstitutional.
Erice also criticized UFs as lump-sum allocations that delegate Congress’ exclusive power of the purse to the Executive, citing Article VI, Section 25(6) of the Constitution, which prohibits transferring appropriations without proper authorization. He described UFs as creating false hopes for agencies and the public, pointing to past abuses in the 2023-2025 budgets where funds were allegedly diverted into pet projects or ghost projects.
Removing UFs from the 2026 GAA, Erice said, is a matter of constitutional fidelity and moral responsibility.
House Deputy Minority Leader Rep. Leila M. de Lima also voted against the 2026 budget, citing the same constitutional and accountability concerns regarding Unprogrammed Appropriations.
Lack of prioritization
The Akbayan Reform Bloc on Monday voted against the proposed budget, citing the continued presence of unprogrammed funds and the lack of prioritization for social services and marginalized sectors. The bloc said the budget fails to embody transparency, fairness, and accountability.
Akbayan Rep. Chel Diokno said the bloc’s decision was guided by three fundamental questions: ‘Our decision came down to three simple questions: Does the 2026 budget support the future of our youth? Does it uplift the lives of our people? And does it end the culture of corruption?’ he said.
Diokno said the inclusion of massive unprogrammed appropriations undermines congressional oversight. ‘There are still Unprogrammed Appropriations-P243 billion left at the discretion of the executive, even though it’s unclear how it will be used or where it will go. It seems we are abandoning our duty to safeguard the people’s money when, in the 2026 General Appropriations Bill, the door to corruption remains wide open.’
Akbayan Rep. Perci Cendaña also raised concerns about possible backroom deals once the budget reaches the bicameral conference committee. ‘What’s the use of livestreamed debates and civil society participation during committee and plenary sessions if there are still miracles happening behind closed doors and shameless insertions during the bicam?’ he asked.
He added that true transparency goes beyond public performances. ‘If we are truly sincere in rebuilding public trust, the House leadership must take action-issue a directive for an Open Bicameral Conference Committee so that the budget process becomes fully transparent.’