Marilyn Cahatol

Akbayan Partylist Rep. Chel Diokno during the first regular session of the 20th Congress at the House of Representatives in Quezon City on July 28, 2025.   Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News

Article (news)

20th CONGRESS- OPENING SESSION

Kaxandra Salonga

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:617px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/175551622591020250728-20th-congress-chiel-diokno-JC0447.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Akbayan Partylist Rep. Chel Diokno during the first regular session of the 20th Congress at the House of Representatives in Quezon City on July 28, 2025. <em>Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News </em></span></span></span></div><p>MANILA — Akbayan Party-list Rep. Chel Diokno on Monday said that the government&#x27;s  repeated cuts to fiscal and growth targets show it is failing to fulfill its promises.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/8/18/-we-will-scrutinize-house-of-representatives-kicks-off-2026-budget-deliberation-1201">&#x27;We will scrutinize&#x27;: House of Representatives kicks off 2026 budget deliberation</a></div><p>Diokno said that since 2023, the economic managers through the Development and Budget Coordination Committee have been downgrading fiscal and growth targets. </p><p>&quot;My question is bakit taon-taon binababa natin itong fiscal and growth targets? Samantalang kung binaba yun, hindi ba yun napapakita na hindi talaga natin nahahatid ang ating pangako sa sambayanang Pilipino?” Diokno said during the House budget hearing.</p><p>Department of Economy Planning and Development (DEPDev) Secretary Arsenio Balisacan explained that global conditions have changed significantly since 2022.</p><p>“When we formulated our medium term plan and the fiscal framework in 2022, the global conditions then were very different. There was no Ukraine-Russia war, there was no major global supply disruption. We needed to calibrate our growth assumptions and our target to reflect those realities,” he said.</p><p>Balisacan maintained that other economies had also been reducing their growth targets in the last two years. </p><p>“Despite the fact that we also downgraded and we realized lower growth rates, we remained the fastest growing economies not only in Asia but in the whole world,” he added.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/business/2025/6/26/philippines-lowers-growth-target-range-for-2025-citing-rising-uncertainties-1839">Philippines lowers growth target range for 2025 citing rising uncertainties; P6.79-trillion budget eyed for 2026<br/></a></div><div> </div><div><strong>BUDGET MISSES GLOBAL TARGETS</strong></div><p>Diokno commented that the proposed 2026 budget is below the levels recommended by international organizations for health, social protection, and education.</p><p>“The proposed 2026 budget allocates just 3.5 percent of the GDP for education versus the 4-6 percent recommended by UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization). About 2.2 percent for social protection versus the 5.1 recommended by the ILO. And 1 percent for health against the 5 percent recommended by the World Health Organization,” he said.</p><p>“Bakit parang paulit-ulit na ang pamunuhan ng gobyerno para sa tao ay kulang. Kulang tayo sa edukasyon, kulang tayo sa kalusugan, kulang tayo sa social protection kumpara sa pamantayan ng ibang bansa?” Diokno added.</p><p>Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman said the government cannot fund all international standards at once.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/8/13/dbm-transmits-2026-national-expenditure-program-to-congress-1058">DBM transmits proposed P6.79-T budget for 2026 to Congress</a></div><p>“Hindi po natin kaya pondohan lahat po itong mga standards na binibigay ng mga international at development partners. Kailangan din po natin i-prioritize ang mga programa na kailangan natin pondohan. At yan po ay nakapaloob sa Philippine Development Plan at sa road maps ng ating mga departamento,” she said.</p><p>Pangandaman added that the largest portion of the proposed 2026 budget still goes to social services.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/business/2025/8/13/zero-funding-eyed-for-akap-in-2026-flood-control-to-get-p274-9-b-2026">Zero funding eyed for AKAP in 2026; flood control to get P274.9-B</a></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO</strong></div><div style="text-align:center"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/XrvCJD24RG0?si=lav1eoaTgLotsIGj" title="YouTube video player" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><br/></div>

<p>Akbayan Party-list Rep. Chel Diokno on Monday argued that the Development Budget Coordination Committee (DBCC)’s repeated cuts to fiscal and growth targets show the government is failing to fulfill its promises.</p>

Akbayan Party-list Rep. Chel Diokno on Monday argued that the Development Budget Coordination Committee (DBCC)’s repeated cuts to fiscal and growth targets show the government is failing to fulfill its promises.

Akbayan rep questions DBCC cuts to fiscal and growth targets

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Akbayan rep questions DBCC cuts to fiscal and growth targets

Kaxandra Salonga,

ABS-CBN News

Published Aug 18, 2025 07:45 PM PHT

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