Jauhn Etienne Villaruel

Speaker Martin Romualdez delivers his speech as he steps down from his post as Speaker of the House of Representatives on Wednesday, September 17, 2025. Members of the 20th Congress of the Lower House are currently casting their votes for the next Speaker of the House, with Isabela 6th District Rep. Faustino 'Bojie' Dy III poised to take over the chamber’s leadership. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News

Article (news)

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Marilyn Cahatol

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/176041851310520250728-20th-congress-act-teachers-tinio-JC0390.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">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.<em> Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News </em></span></span></span></div><p>MANILA — A total of P243 billion unprogrammed appropriations (UA) remained in the 2026 national budget approved on <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/10/13/house-approves-p6-79-trillion-2026-national-budget-2050">third and final reading</a><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/10/13/house-approves-p6-79-trillion-2026-national-budget-2050"></a> by the House of Representatives, a lawmaker said Tuesday.</p><p>ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. Antonio Tinio, in a press briefing with the Makabayan bloc, said 11 items were left under UA.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/9/19/what-are-unprogrammed-funds-gatchalian-says-they-are-pork-barrel-1225">What are &#x27;unprogrammed&#x27; funds? Gatchalian says they are &#x27;pork barrel&#x27;</a></div><p>These include P97 billion for support to foreign-assisted projects and another P35 billion listed as the government of the Philippines’ counterpart of foreign-assisted projects.</p><p>P50 billion was allocated for the revised<a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/8/15/afp-welcomes-p40b-for-modernization-in-proposed-2026-national-budget-1457"> Armed Forces of the Philippines Modernization Program</a>.</p><p>The Strengthening Assistance for Government Infrastructure Program (SAGIP) — which was supposedly alloted P80 billion — was brought down to P45 billion and renamed as Strengthening Assistance for Social Programs.</p><p>The UA also included funds for budgetary support to Government Owned and Controlled Corporations (GOCC), programs on risk management, fiscal support to the Comprehensive Automotive Resurgence Strategy (CARS) program, Marawi siege victims’ compensation program, and insurance for government assets.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/10/14/chel-diokno-umalma-sa-isinusulong-na-2026-budget-0843">Chel Diokno umalma sa isinusulong na 2026 budget</a></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>&#x27;BACK DOOR&#x27;<br/></strong></div><div><br/></div><p>Tinio, however, explained that unlike programmed appropriations, the UA has a provision allowing the Department of Budget and Management to realign the funds originally allocated for each item.</p><p>This, he said, is the “back door” that allows government officials to still use the funds for infrastructure programs.</p><p>“Bagaman winawasiwas ng House na tinanggal na yung infrastructure projects from unprogrammed appropriations, actually may back door pa rin dito,” said Tinio.</p><p>“Presidente ang may say dito kasi ayon sa batas, basta lump sum appropriations, President ang nag-a-approve,” he added.</p><p>Tinio said the &quot;pork barrel system&quot; remains if UA is not zeroed.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/10/8/no-congressional-pork-in-proposed-2026-budget-house-leader-1743">No &#x27;congressional pork&#x27; in proposed 2026 budget — House leader</a></div><p>He said, “Yung UA pwede pa ring gamitin for infrastructure yan. Nananatili yung pork barrel system, nananatili pa rin yung posibilidad na rigged ang mga bidding. Pare-pareho pa rin ang mga contractors na involved. At nandiyan pa rin yung kalakaran ng SOP (standard operating procedure) or kickback.”</p><p>“Habang hindi nababago ang sistemang ito ay most likely mauulit muli ang corruption. My last point being, ganitong ganito ang nangyari nung 2013 with the <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/08/01/18/napoles-5-others-indicted-for-intl-money-laundering-conspiracy-bribery">Napoles Priority Development Assistance Fund scam.”</a></p><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/tu6-8cg1wvI?si=-S10AxpvUSxyoIcQ" title="YouTube video player" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><br/></div>

<p>A total of P243 billion unprogrammed appropriations (UA) remained in the 2026 national budget approved on third and final reading by the House of Representatives, a lawmaker said Tuesday.</p>

A total of P243 billion unprogrammed appropriations (UA) remained in the 2026 national budget approved on third and final reading by the House of Representatives, a lawmaker said Tuesday.

Lawmaker details unprogrammed appropriations in House-approved 2026 budget

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Lawmaker details unprogrammed appropriations in House-approved 2026 budget

Marilyn Cahatol,

ABS-CBN News

Published October 14, 2025 01:29 PM PHT

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National budget

Pork barrel

Makabayan bloc

Antonio Tinio

Unprogrammed Appropriations

House of Representatives

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