With 287-12-2 Voting, House Passes National Budget Bill for 2026
The House of Representatives approved the proposed P6.8-trillion budget for 2026 including the P243-billion unprogrammed funds.
For next year, the budget proposal crafted by the executive department amounted to P6.8 trillion. The office of Pres. Bongbong Marcos is requesting for a P27-billion budget for next year.
Pres. Bongbong Marcos’ office is also poised to get the biggest confidential and intelligence funds for 2026 at P4.5 billion. Here are the other recipients of the proposed P10.77 billion confidential and intel funds for next year:
- Department of National Defense — P1.848 billion
- Anti-Money Laundering Council, National Security Council, and the Philippine National Police, and Other Executive Offices — P2.292 billion
Here are the proposed budget for the other key offices in the government for 2026:
- Department of Education (DepEd) — P928.5 billion
- Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) — P881.3 billion
- Department of Health (DOH) — P320.5 billion
- Department of National Defense (DND) — P299.3 billion
- Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) — P287.5 billion
- Department of Agriculture (DA) — P239.2 billion
- Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) — P227.0 billion
- Department of Transportation (DOTr) — P197.3 billion
- Judiciary Department — P67.9 billion
- Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) — P55.2 billion
Previously, the House appropriations panel has approved the proposed budget for 2026. The lower chamber moved to reduce the budget for the office of Vice Pres. Sara Duterte after she skipped the plenary deliberations of the proposed budget of her office.
From P902.8 million, the House dropped the budget for the OVP by P156 million. Recently, the House of Representatives approved the P6.8 trillion proposed budget for 2026 including the P243-billion “unprogrammed funds”.
Based on a report on Inquirer, the passing of the P6.793-trillion national budget bill came with a 287-12-2 voting. House Speaker Bojie Dy admitted that the House Bill No. 4058 might not be perfect but stressed that they “made sure nothing was hidden, nothing was concealed, with the goal to ensure that every penny of the tax paid by our citizens is given back to them in the form of opportunities, services, and hope”.
However, some lawmakers are against the inclusion of the P243-billion unprogrammed appropriations. Here are the 12 House members who voted against the passing of the bill for the 2026 national budget:
- Akbayan lawmakers Chel Diokno, Perci Cendaña, and Dadah Kiram Ismula
- Makabayan lawmakers Antonio Tinio, Sarah Elago, and Renee Co
- Liberal Party lawmakers Leila de Lima, Kaka Bag-ao, Krisel Lagman, and Edgar Erice
- SAGIP Representative Paolo Marcoleta
- Batangas 1st District Representative Leandro Leviste
Previously, Pres. Bongbong Marcos stressed that the 2026 proposed budget really needs to be cleaned out properly.