Philippines shocker: $1.56b scrapped from $113b new budget, slamming shut 'tongpats' backdoors for good?
'Unprogrammed Appropriations' axed, cutting potential 'pork barrel' abuse
Manila: President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. slashed ₱92.5 billion ($1.56 billion) from the ₱6.793-trillion ($113 billion) 2026 national budget via veto power — his constitutional right to strike "inappropriate" items before signing a bill into law (Republic Act 12314).
Education, health, the military and agriculture are the top items as the president signed the 2026 budget on Monday in the presence of senior officials of both Houses of Congress, and key Cabinet members.
Heads up: The whopping ₱677 billion earmarked for health and ₱297-billion agriculture budget, including shiny "farm-to-market roads", are getting top scrutiny to keep every peso squeaky clean, corruption-free, and collusion-proof between shady contractors and officials.
“The 2026 national budget shall sustain our momentum in education reforms, in health protection, in food security, in social security, and in job creation,” President Marcos said during the signing of the 2026 General Appropriations Act (GAA) in Malacañang.
Record education allocation
Education Secretary Sonny Angara announced the biggest DepEd budget ever at ₱1.015 trillion (including retirement/life insurance premiums), fueling game-changing support for students and teachers nationwide.
Breakdown:
₱1.015T Total: Largest in recent years for DepEd + attached agencies
Infrastructure Boom: New classrooms + school facilities construction
Student Lifeline: School-based feeding programs, textbooks, learner subsidies
Tech upgrade: Laptops for teachers and students
Staff power-up: More teaching/non-teaching positions + continuous teacher/school head trainingUnprogrammed appropriations
Why the veto hammer?
The president's veto power targetted the so-called "Unprogrammed Appropriations" (UA, extra funds released only if new revenue appears), blocking potential pork barrel abuse after 2025's scandals.
Marcos declared unprogrammed funds "no blank checks," enforcing transparency to curb discretionary spending amid climate woes and graft exposés.
"Real change could no longer wait," he said at Malacañang signing.
Big wins post-veto
Education: ₱1.345 trillion (top spot) for teachers, classrooms.
Health: Record ₱448 billion + ₱129 billion PhilHealth boost for universal care.
Military: Full pay/allowance retention; LGUs/disaster funds up.
Agriculture: ₱297 billion for farm roads, farmer aid.
Social Services: ₱270 billion targetting single-digit poverty by 2028.
Senator Sherwin Gatchalian revealed that the Senate preempted President Marcos Jr.'s ₱92.5B veto by axing the ₱80-billion "Strengthening Assistance for Government Infrastructure and Social Programs"(SAGIP) from Unprogrammed Appropriations (UA).
5 Key Points
SAGIP = abuse magnet: Labelled "source of corruption," especially flood control pork — ₱86.93 billion in 2024 alone hid shady lump sums.
Senate's preemptive strike: Finance chair Gatchalian's team purged it during bicam, before Marcos wielded veto power.
No Programmed Cuts: Marcos's veto hit only UA items (5/7 from original House budget); Senate refined others.
Non-cash clarification: Regional Action Center (CARS) is just "book-entry" — no real cash released, only tax certificates.
Watchdog vow: Citizens and taxpayers should monitor 2026's ₱6.793-trillion rollout for transparency.
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