From ABS-CBN News

By Noriko Yamamoto

Budget watchdog Social Watch Philippines (SWP) has pressed President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. to remove “highly questionable” items worth ₱319 billion in the proposed 2026 national budget, citing what it described as “major last-minute adjustments.”

In a statement released on Saturday, January 3, the organization said the adjustments were not disclosed to the public, which it said contradicts the government’s promise of transparency and accountability.

“…despite the Bicam livestreaming, numerous non-transparent side meetings and huddles took place, and major last-minute adjustments were undertaken outside of the public’s scrutiny,” said Dr. Ma. Victoria Racquiza, a co-convenor of SWP.

This, she said, “thereby undermines the vaunted transparency and accountability of the Bicam process.”

She further explained that “such actions deepen the public trust deficit in government and intensify public cynicism toward the government’s commitment to uphold every Filipino’s right to a just and fair budget.”

Racquiza also said that the 2026 budget is “not people-centered, despite what the Bicam Committee claims,” expressing disappointment in the government.

She added that Congress has disregarded public outrage over widespread corruption and the alleged misuse of public funds.

With this, SWP specified the questionable allocations as follows:

• The increased ₱81.9 billion in the Basic Infrastructure Program (BIP) and the Sustainable Infrastructure Projects Alleviating Gaps (SIPAG) under the Convergence and Social Support Program of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), which the group flagged as overlapping with projects already funded through other DPWH initiatives;
• ₱8.9 billion allocated for Farm-to-Market Roads under the Department of Agriculture (DA), which SWP said was inserted during bicameral talks and did not undergo essential processes in both House and Senate hearings;
• ₱10 billion allocated for the Presidential Assistance to Farmers and Fisherfolk, which the group described as duplicative of existing subsidies, noting that ₱8.5 billion has already been distributed across DA programs;
• ₱2.73 billion set aside for Tulong Dunong programs, which SWP flagged as a House insertion that duplicates funding, as the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) already has ₱37.55 billion for universal access to higher education;
• ₱15.33 billion for the Disaster Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Assistance Program (DRRAP) for local government units (LGUs) under the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Fund (NDRRMF), which the group said overlaps with other relief programs under the same fund;
• ₱23.048 million designated for the Philippine Pavilion at the 2026 United Nations Climate Conference under the Climate Change Commission, which SWP said was a late bicameral insertion without prior approval from either chamber’s initial budget draft;
• ₱5.25 billion in confidential funds across various departments, which SWP criticized, stating that, “As a general rule, civilian agencies must not engage in surveillance activities nor implement secret expenses. The President should lead by example by removing the confidential funds of his office”;
• ₱138 billion for social protection and assistance programs, which SWP flagged for what it described as suspicious increases, noting that agencies already have existing allocations for similar programs, including the Department of Health’s Medical Assistance to Indigent and Financially Incapacitated Patients worth ₱52.6 billion, the Department of Labor and Employment’s Tulong Pangkabuhayan sa Ating Disadvantaged Workers worth ₱22.4 billion, and the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations worth ₱63.9 billion; and
• The ₱56.873 billion LGU assistance fund, which SWP criticized for its threefold increase, saying it provides room for patronage and political discretion.

For the ₱138 billion “ayuda funds” and the ₱56.873 billion LGU assistance fund, the organization suggested that the President issue a supplemental budget to restore allocations to the original National Expenditure Program levels of ₱63.4 billion for social assistance and ₱6 billion for LGU aid.

To ensure transparency surrounding the ₱243.4 billion Unprogrammed Appropriations (UA), the organization proposed retaining all budget items except Budgetary Support to Government Corporations (BSGC) and the Revised Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Modernization Program, noting that both already have dedicated budgets under special purpose funds.

Some lawmakers have also expressed concern over certain financial aid projects that could be used for political patronage.

However, Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian, chair of the Senate finance committee and shepherd of the measure, said the country was one step closer to having a “people-first” budget that prioritizes education, health, and agriculture.