House OKs proposed P6.793 trillion budget for 2026

MANILA, Philippines — Voting 287-12 with two abstentions, the House of Representatives approved on third and final reading President Marcos’ proposed P6.793-trillion national budget for 2026, with minor reductions to unprogrammed appropriations despite clamors to scrap it.

“This budget cycle is unprecedented – and to be able to pass the budget on time despite all the complexities that we needed to navigate over the past two months, we needed to work very, very hard,” House appropriations chairperson and Nueva Ecija 1st district Rep. Mikaela Suansing said.

Speaker Faustino Dy III said the approval of the 2026 budget “reflects a government united in purpose and focused on delivering tangible results for the Filipino people.”

House Bill 4058, or the General Appropriations Bill for 2026, will be sent to the Senate for another round of scrutiny and eventual concurrence.

“Under this budget, we responded to the President’s call to strengthen the primary sectors of our society, especially education, health and social welfare,” Dy said.

He noted that the education sector received the largest allocation at P1.281 trillion, equivalent to 4.1 percent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product, underscoring the administration’s investment in human capital.

The spending plan also strengthens health care, infrastructure and social protection to promote inclusive and equitable development.

Both houses of Congress will be on a month-long recess for the Undas break and will resume session on Nov. 10.

The approved budget removed about P200 million from the proposed funding for the Office of the Vice President. It also retains unprogrammed appropriations.

By the numbers

The lawmakers who abstained were Reps. Harold Duterte and Francisco Barzaga of Pwersa ng Pilipinong Pandagat party-list and the fourth district of Cavite, respectively.

Duterte is a nephew of detained former president Rodrigo Duterte while Barzaga is the son of the late congressman Elpidio Barzaga Jr.

The 12 who voted no to HB 4058 were Reps. Antonio Tinio (ACT Teachers), Renee Co (Kabataan) and Sarah Elago (Gabriela) from the Makabayan bloc; Chel Diokno, Perci Cendaña and Dadah Kiram Ismula (Akbayan) and Kaka Bag-ao of Dinagat Islands, which make up the Akbayan reform bloc; Leila de Lima (ML), Edgar Erice (Caloocan City 2nd district), Paolo Marcoleta (Sagip), Krisel Lagman (Albay 1st district) and Leandro Leviste (Batangas 1st district).

House Minority Leader and 4Ps party-list Rep. Marcelino Libanan voted “yes with reservation,” along with 4K party-list Rep. Iris Montes.

“I vote yes, but with strong reservation, and urge that unprogrammed funds for the AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines) modernization and foreign-assisted projects be realigned to the programmed budget, where they can be properly scrutinized, itemized and monitored in accordance with the principles of transparency and accountability,” Libanan declared.

Unprogrammed funds

According to Suansing, there is no way that the controversial unprogrammed appropriations (UA) in the national budget can be removed, but this can still be remedied by reducing the total amount.

“We would really have to retain the infrastructure projects under UA for support to foreign-assisted projects because we cannot renege on our commitments to our multilateral and bilateral partners,” she said.