THE House Budget Amendments Review Subcommittee (BARC) has proposed amendments to the 2026 General Appropriations Bill that would allocate P272.3 billion in additional funding for three key sectors: education, health, and agriculture.
The revisions were presented by Committee Chairperson Rep. Mikaela Suansing during a meeting on Wednesday.
Under the proposed amendments, the education sector, which includes the Department of Education (DepEd), Commission on Higher Education (CHED), Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), State Universities and Colleges (SUCs), and the Philippine Science High School System (PSHS), will see a total increase of P56.64 billion.
This is an additional P18 billion on top of the previous P38-billion increment, bringing the sector’s 2026 budget to P1.36 trillion, or 4.36 percent of GDP-the first time it exceeds the 4-percent milestone.
The health sector, covering the Department of Health (DOH) and PhilHealth, will receive an increase of P92.57 billion, up from an earlier P89 billion. The additional P3.2 billion is attributed to the Health Facilities Enhancement Program (HFEP).
Meanwhile, the agriculture sector, which encompasses the Department of Agriculture (DA), National Irrigation Administration (NIA), and Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR), will get an additional P8.7 billion, bringing the total increase to P53.75 billion.
These increases were made possible by reallocating P255 billion previously set for flood control projects under the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), with P202.96 billion redirected to education and agriculture, while the remainder supports other agencies.
Suansing emphasized the collaborative effort behind the amendments, expressing gratitude to the BARC members for their ‘wisdom and hard work’ across multiple days of deliberations.
‘The results of our first BARC session were unprecedented, and with these refinements, we have further strengthened the allocations for our key sectors,’ she said.
Senior Vice Chairperson Rep. Albert Garcia moved for the substitution of the entire House Bill No. 4058, including all approved special provisions, for plenary consideration on Friday during the period of amendments.
The House of Representatives is ‘on track’ for the expected approval of House Bill 4058, or the proposed P6.793-trillion General Appropriations Bill (GAB) for fiscal year 2026, Speaker Faustino ‘Bojie’ Dy III announced on Tuesday.
The GAB will enter the period of amendments and second reading on October 10 and is targeted for final approval on third reading by October 13.