Headlines

After 2025 budget turmoil, House commits to transparency for 2026 budget

August 13, 2025 | 11:38am

MANILA, Philippines — The House of Representatives received a copy of the 2026 National Expenditure Program (NEP) on Wednesday, August 13, from the Department of Budget and Management (DBM).

The proposed P6.793-trillion budget seeks to prioritize developing and investing in active transport, water and agricultural infrastructure, healthcare, improved digital connectivity and strengthened marine protection activities.

After widespread opposition branded the 2025 budget as the most controversial in recent history, both chambers of Congress have committed to opening the bicameral conference committee before approving and ratifying the budget for the president’s signature.

Since the conclusion of the 2025 elections, House Speaker Martin Romualdez has called for an open bicameral conference committee, which is the final stage where the House and Senate reconcile budget revisions.

Historically conducted behind closed doors, Congress now seeks to promote transparency and accountability by making these hearings and meetings publicly accessible.

House budget process reforms

Romualdez has proposed four major reforms to the budget process, a plan made alongside the Committee on Appropriations chaired by Rep. Mikaela Suansing (Nueva Ecija, 1st District).

The first is the abolition of the “small committee,” a four-member panel that traditionally handled institutional amendments after the second or third reading.

The second reform calls for livestreaming the entire budget process, from committee discussions to bicameral conference hearings.

Third, Romualdez wants to open budget hearings to civil society organizations and the private sector to gather broader input, with initial meetings already done in early August.

Lastly, he hopes to strengthen oversight by requiring government agencies to submit timely reports and establish real-time tracking of major projects.

“In the coming weeks, we will review every page of this NEP guided by one question: ‘Makakabuti ba ito sa ating mga kababayan?’ If yes, we will support it. If not, we will work to make it better,” Romualdez said.

The controversial 2025 budget

The 2025 budget faced last-minute cuts totaling P194 billion, most of which came from the heavily scrutinized unprogrammed appropriations and the infrastructure budget.

Unprogrammed funds, often referred to as “standby funds,” are reserved for priority programs and projects that receive funding only if excess revenues become available.

Critics have likened these funds to a form of “pork barrel” due to the executive branch’s discretion over their allocation.

Aside from cuts to unprogrammed funds, the Department of Public Works and Highways’ (DPWH) budget was also reduced by around P26 billion. This followed public outcry after the DPWH’s budget exceeded that of education agencies.

In response, the government said that the Constitution’s mandate to prioritize education includes all programs with educational components, even those within the police and military’s budget.

The 2025 healthcare budget also faced significant criticism after Congress entirely removed PhilHealth’s government subsidy, which supports services for indirect contributors or marginalized groups.

Several petitions have been filed before the Supreme Court challenging the constitutionality of this year’s budget, but no ruling has been made yet.

Acknowledging public disappointment, President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. took a firm stance in his fourth address to the nation, declaring he will not sign any budget bill ratified by Congress that does not align with the NEP. He added that he would return the bill if such a situation arises.

The 2026 budget is roughly 7.4% higher than the 2025 national budget of P6.326 trillion, which the DBM touted as having substantially raised the proposed education and health budget.