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ACT Teachers Partylist Rep. Antonio Tinio 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

 

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Lawmaker: 259,000 job order, COS workers to be affected by Marcos’ budget veto

Vivienne Gulla

ABS-CBN News

<p>MANILA — A lawmaker slammed on Tuesday the President’s veto of P43.2 billion intended “For Payment of Services Requirements” under the unprogrammed appropriations, saying it will stand in the way of regularizing thousands of job order and contract of service (COS) workers in the government, as well as affect personnel benefits.</p><p>ACT Teachers Party List Representative Antonio Tinio said of this amount, P10.77 billion is for the hiring of new personnel, which he estimates will affect 259,000 COS and JOs, including more than 41,000 professors, instructors and administrative staff in state universities and colleges.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/1/5/marcos-vetoes-nearly-p92-5-b-worth-of-unprogrammed-appropriations-for-2026-1039">Marcos vetoes nearly P92.5-B worth of unprogrammed appropriations for 2026</a></div><p>“Professor ang titulo, pero job order sila o contract of service, walang employer-employee relationship, hindi nakakatanggap ng tamang sweldo at benepisyo dahil walang regular item na available. Kung hindi vineto, ‘yung P10 billion ay pwedeng magkaroon ng item. Pero dahil nga vineto ay mananatili silang mga job order and contract of service for 2026,” he explained.</p><p>The remaining P32.47 billion in the vetoed unprogrammed appropriations “For Payment of Services Requirements” is for the terminal leave benefits of retiring personnel in the civilian and uniformed bureaucracy, including police and military, according to Tinio. </p><p>He said this could lead to “delays” or “denial” of personnel benefits.</p><p>Tinio expressed dismay over the removal of the said item, which he said was originally in the programmed appropriations under the executive’s budget proposal for 2026, but was moved to the unprogrammed appropriations during the bicameral conference committee level, and then later vetoed by the President.</p><p>“So mula sa pagiging tiyak noong pondo nito ay ginawang unprogrammed, hindi na tiyak. Tapos ultimately vineto ng Pangulo. So nabawasan ng P43.2 billion ang pondo na dapat ay para sa regularization ng mga job order and contract of service employees. ‘Yan ang isang pwedeng gamit doon. Tapos, ‘yun ngang pondo for retirement benefits. So, nakakadismaya ito,” Tinio said.</p><p>“Nakakagalit ito dahil sabi ko nga, nasa original proposal ‘yan ng Malacanang. Tapos inilagay sa unprogrammed para maka-likha ng puwang para sa mga insertions sa bicam… Para makadagdag, mapalobo ang pondo sa mga LGU lump sums, ‘yung tinatawag kong LGU pork,” he added.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/business/2025/12/30/keep-an-eye-on-lgu-aid-fund-in-2026-budget-economist-says-1358">&#x27;One of biggest red flags&#x27;: Keep an eye on LGU aid fund in 2026 budget, economist says</a></div><p>In a statement, the Department of Budget and Management said “the reported P24 billion “reduction” was not removed or canceled. This amount is intended for the increase in subsistence allowance of uniformed personnel, and was simply transferred from the Miscellaneous and Personnel Benefits Fund (MPBF) to the budgets of the concerned agencies”.</p><p>“The pension of uniformed personnel is not affected. The only group that may be impacted are those newly retiring under optional retirement, and this will still go through existing rules, processes, and safeguards,” the DBM added.</p><p>Tinio called the DBM’s statement “deceptive”, and did not address the issue he raised.</p><p>“Mapanlinlang ‘yang statement, dahil sinasabi niya na wala naman daw nabawas sa pondo para sa benefits, salary or retirement pay ng government employees. Pero ang pinag-uusapan niya ay amount of P24 billion… Aware tayo doon at hindi ‘yun ang kinukwestyon natin. Hindi in-address ng DBM sa kanyang statement ‘yung totoong bawas na binabanggit natin: P10 billion for staffing, for new hires at saka ‘yun ang P32 billion for terminal leave benefits,” he asserted.</p><p>“Mabuti pa, maglabas sila ng bagong statement, kaugnay dito sa P40 billion na tinapiyas, na sila rinn naman ang nag-propose sa NEP. Sa kanila nan galing ang proposal na ‘yan. Kaya huwag nila ngayon sabihin na walang nabawas, at walang magiging epekto sa government employees dahil nasa original proposal n’yo ‘yan, kayo mismo nagsabi, kailangan ‘yan,” the ACT Teachers solon added.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/12/29/senators-ratify-bicam-report-on-proposed-2026-national-budget-two-express-opposition-2026">Senators ratify bicam report on proposed 2026 national budget, two express opposition</a></div><p>Tinio called for a supplemental budget to cover the P43.2 billion funding for the regularization of a number of contractual workers in the government and retirement benefits.</p><p>He also disputed the Senate President’s claim that the 2026 national budget is “the cleanest ever”.</p><p>“Unfortunately, it&#x27;s not as simple as passing a new budget and adding a few new general provisions para sabihin corruption-free na ang budget. Essentially intact pa rin ang pork barrel system sa 2026 budget,” Tinio said, referring to the unprogrammed appropriations, and certain government aid programs, which supposedly perpetuate “political dependency”.</p><p>Tinio, meanwhile, welcomed the plan of House Senior Deputy Minority Leader and Caloocan 2nd District Representative Edgar Erice to file a petition before the Supreme Court <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/1/5/lawmaker-to-question-unprogrammed-appropriations-in-2026-budget-before-supreme-court-1641">questioning the constitutionality of the unprogrammed appropriations</a> in the 2026 national budget.</p><p>Erice plans to file the petition within the week.</p><div> </div><div><strong>EDUCATION BUDGET</strong></div><p>House Assistant Majority Leader and Lanao del Sur 1st District Representative Zia Alonto Adiong on Tuesday welcomed the signing into law of the 2026 General Appropriations Act, calling the P1.35-trillion allocation for education a “decisive” and “long-overdue” investment.</p><p>“This is  is a clear, deliberate, and long overdue declaration that the future of the nation will be built in our classrooms,” he said.</p><p>“This unprecedented investment finally matches the scale of our education crisis with the scale of our national ambition. It enables the Department of Education and its attached agencies to roll out the most comprehensive learner- and teacher-centered interventions in recent memory,” Adiong added.</p>

<p>A lawmaker slammed on Tuesday the President’s veto of P43.2 billion intended “For Payment of Services Requirements” under the unprogrammed appropriations, saying it will stand in the way of regularizing thousands of job order and contract of service workers in the government.</p>

A lawmaker slammed on Tuesday the President’s veto of P43.2 billion intended “For Payment of Services Requirements” under the unprogrammed appropriations, saying it will stand in the way of regularizing thousands of job order and contract of service workers in the government.

Lawmaker says 259,000 job order, COS workers to be affected by Marcos’ budget veto

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Lawmaker says 259,000 job order, COS workers to be affected by Marcos’ budget veto

Vivienne Gulla,

ABS-CBN News

Published Jan 06, 2026 04:35 PM PHT

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House of Representatives

2026 budget

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Antonio Tinio

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