Senate Pres. Tito Sotto Speaks on Complaint Filed before SC over Unprogrammed Funds in 2026 Budget
SOTTO – The Senate President confirmed that the Senate is ready to defend the unprogrammed funds in the 2026 national budget.
Last January 5, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. signed the 2026 national budget submitted by the bicameral conference committee. The bicam-approved budget proposal amounted to P6.79 trillion.
The ceremonial signing held at Malacañang Palace came after the country operated on a reenacted budget in the first week of January. Malacañang Palace previously claimed that the President spent a working Christmas holiday reviewing the bicam-approved fund.
Under the 2026 national budget, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) gets the second biggest budget among the key departments in the government despite the huge cut. Public works chief Vince Dizon previously confirmed that the department’s budget is down by over P300 billion.
Here are the 2026 budget for the different key departments in the government:
- Department of Education — P1.015 trillion
- Department of Public Works and Highways — P530.9 billion
- Department of Health — P448.1 billion
- Department of the Interior and Local Government — P310.5 billion
- Department of National Defense — P310.0 billion
- Department of Agriculture — P297.1 billion
- Department of Social Welfare and Development — P270.2 billion
- Department of Transportation — P141.0 billion
- Department of Labor and Employment — P73.6 billion
- Judiciary — P70.6 billion
In the 2026 national budget, Marcos Jr. rejected 7 out of 10 unprogrammed funds. The President scrapped the following:
- Budgetary Support for Government Owned and Controlled Corporations: P6.895 billion
- Prior Years’ Local Government Unit Shares: P14.623 million
- Insurance of Government Assets and Interests: P2 billion
- Payment of Personnel Services Requirements: P43.245 billion
- CARS Program (Automotive Industry Support): P4.32 billion
- RACE Program (Automotive Industry Competitiveness): P250 million
- Government Counterpart for Certain Foreign-Assisted Projects: P35.77 billion
The Marcos Jr. administration is confident over the approved 2026 national budget. However, Mamamayang Liberal Partylist Representative Leila de Lima and House Senior Deputy Minority Leader Rep. Edgar Erice filed a petition challenging the constitutionality of the unprogrammed appropriations under the 2026 budget. Senate Pres. Tito Sotto spoke about the complaint.
Based on a report on PhilStar, Senate Pres. Tito Sotto confirmed that the Senate is ready to defend the unprogrammed funds in the 2026 national budget. He stressed that unprogrammed appropriations are legal.
“I’m very confident the SC will uphold the budget and favor it. Unprogrammed funds are constitutionally valid based on SC decisions,” Sotto said.
Following the ceremonial signing, Executive Secretary Ralph Recto spoke on the 2026 national budget.