Camille Naredo

Senate of the Philippines building in Pasay City.

Senate of the Philippines building in Pasay City. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News.

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Senate

RG Cruz

ABS-CBN News

<p>MANILA -- The Finance Committee has asked the full Senate to reduce the New Appropriations in the proposed 2026 National Budget by over P68.667 billion -- from the P4.646 trillion approved by the House of Representatives to just over P4.577 trillion in the proposed Senate version of next year&#x27;s spending plan.</p><p>Still, the total proposed national budget for 2026 stands at P6.793 trillion -- 7.4% higher, or about P467 billion more than last year’s budget.</p><p>According to a summary of the committee report, the net reduction was brought about by over P395.228-B in reductions, which was higher than the over P326.561-B in increases made by the Senate across the board.</p><p>While the total Programmed Funds were unchanged at over P4.402 trillion after the Senate&#x27;s adjustments, the unprogrammed funds were lower by over P68.667-B, from P243.222-B in the House version to just P174.555-B in the Senate version. </p><div><a class="fr-strong fr-green" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/10/27/no-need-for-additional-funding-for-senate-despite-budget-cut-gatchalian-2031">READ: No need for additional funding for Senate despite budget cut -- Gatchalian</a></div><p>Unprogrammed funds refer to items that can only be spent if there are excess revenues or new funding sources.</p><p>&quot;We have also significantly reduced unprogrammed funds. During the budget hearings, one of our most painful discoveries was that unprogrammed funds had turned into a magnet for corruption,&quot; Senate Finance Committee Chair Sherwin Gatchalian explained in his sponsorship speech.</p><p>&quot;Of the 11 line items in unprogrammed funds, the Senate version reduced them to seven, with only three cash items,&quot; he added.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/10/27/dpwh-budget-may-be-cut-by-p80-billion-says-gatchalian-1924">READ: Senate panel OKs DPWH proposed budget but may still be cut by P80B</a></div><p>Among the net gainers in the Senate version are:</p><ul style="margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;padding-inline-start:48px"><li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type:disc;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre"><p>the Congress of the Philippines</p></li><li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type:disc;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre"><p>the Office of the President</p></li><li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type:disc;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre"><p>the Office of the Vice President, whose budget the Senate restored to the level of the National Expenditure Program</p></li><li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type:disc;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre"><p>the Department of Agrarian Reform</p></li><li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type:disc;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre"><p>Department of Economy, Planning and Development</p></li><li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type:disc;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre"><p>Department of Education</p></li><li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type:disc;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre"><p>State Universities and Colleges</p></li><li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type:disc;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre"><p>Department of Finance</p></li><li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type:disc;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre"><p>Department of Foreign Affairs</p></li><li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type:disc;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre"><p>Department of Interior and Local Government</p></li><li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type:disc;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre"><p>Department of Justice</p></li><li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type:disc;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre"><p>Department of Migrant Workers</p></li><li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type:disc;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre"><p>Department of National Defense</p></li><li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type:disc;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre"><p>Department of Science and Technology</p></li><li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type:disc;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre"><p>Department of Tourism</p></li><li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type:disc;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre"><p>Department of Trade and Industry</p></li><li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type:disc;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre"><p>Department of Transportation</p></li><li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type:disc;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre"><p>Other Executive Offices</p></li><li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type:disc;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre"><p>Judiciary</p></li><li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type:disc;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre"><p>Commission on Audit</p></li></ul><p>Unchanged from the House version are the budgets of the Commission on Human Rights, Office of the Ombudsman, Commission on Elections, Civil Service Commission, Presidential Communications Office, Department of Energy, and Department of Budget and Management.</p><p>Meanwhile, those who sustained reductions from the House version are: </p><ul style="margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;padding-inline-start:48px"><li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type:disc;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre"><p>Department of Agriculture</p></li><li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type:disc;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre"><p>Department of Environment and Natural Resources</p></li><li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type:disc;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre"><p>Department of Health</p></li><li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type:disc;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre"><p>Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development</p></li><li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type:disc;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre"><p>Department of Information and Communications Technology</p></li><li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type:disc;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre"><p>Department of Labor and Employment</p></li><li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type:disc;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre"><p>Department of Public Works and Highways</p></li><li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type:disc;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre"><p>Department of Social Welfare and Development</p></li><li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type:disc;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre"><p>Special Purpose Funds</p></li></ul><p>Under Special Purpose funds, companies under some agencies got more funds.</p><p>Among the agencies with companies which got more budgetary support from government corporations are the Department of Economy, Planning and Development, Department of Energy, Department of Health,  Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development, Department of Trade and Industry, and Department of Transportation.</p><p>The combined budgets of companies under the DOH, inclusive of the Philhealth, rose to P127.818-B from P120.098-B in the House version. This includes the P113.261-B for Philhealth.</p><p>On the other hand, firms under the following agencies saw reductions in the Senate version: Other Executive Offices, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, and Department of Agriculture.</p><p>Firms under the Presidential Communications Office and Department of Finance did not see any changes to their budgetary support.</p><p>Allocations to Local Government Units, the Miscellaneous Personnel Benefits Fund, National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Fund were also reduced.</p><p>The Contingent Fund and Pension and Gratuity Fund were unchanged.</p><p>On the other hand, funding for the Revised AFP Modernization Program rose.</p><p>Here are the salient portions of Gatchalian&#x27;s speech:</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>ON EDUCATION</strong></div><p>The total budget for the Education Sector stands at P1.38 trillion. This is 20% of the national budget, or 4.5% of GDP.  It is the highest in the country’s history. For the first time, the budget for Education meets the United Nations mandated benchmark of allotting at least 4-6% of GDP to the sector.</p><p>The Department of Education (DepEd) has been given P992.7-B, the largest allocation in its history. DepEd’s budget will increase by P78.5-B, or 8.6%, compared to the amount approved under the House General Appropriations Bill.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>ON HEALTH</strong></div><p>The DOH, including PhilHealth, has been allotted P376.5-B, with particular attention will be given to the implementation of the Universal Health Care Law and the Zero Balance Billing Program of the current administration.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>ON SOCIAL WELFARE</strong></div><p>DSWD was allocated P230-B to support a wide range of targeted social welfare interventions. 8.2B Increase for Social Pension for Indigent Senior Citizens to cover approximately 663,000 waitlisted beneficiaries.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>FOR MIGRANT WORKERS</strong></div><p>AKSYON Fund doubled from P1.2-B in the House version to P2.4-B in the Senate version for expanded assistance to Filipino migrant workers.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>FOR AGRICULTURE</strong></div><p>The Department of Agriculture, including its attached agencies and corporations, has been allotted P184-B. P500 million are for the implementation of the Sagip Saka Act.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>ON TRADE AND SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY</strong></div><p>The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) will carry a budget of P9.7-B to bolster the Fair Trade and Consumer Protection Program and the Pangkabuhayan sa Pagbangon at Ginhawa Program.</p><p>The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) will be granted a budget of P31.48-B. It increases the amount allocated for Philippine Science High School scholarships, adding P413-M to the amount in the NEP. More than 10,000 learners will benefit from this increase.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>ON PUBLIC WORKS AND TRANSPORTATION</strong></div><p>The proposed budget for the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) will be set at P568.56-B, down by P55.91-B. As an additional safeguard against corruption, all DPWH projects have Station Numbers, Bridge IDs, and School IDs included in the Committee Report.</p><p>The Department of Transportation (DOTr) will receive a budget of P189.289-B.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/business/2025/10/28/biz-group-warns-of-crisis-of-trust-amid-flood-control-scandal-1105">READ: Business group warns of &#x27;crisis of trust&#x27; amid flood control corruption scandal</a></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>ON DEFENSE</strong></div><p>The proposed budget for the Defense sector amounts to P385.97-B, representing 1.25% of the projected nominal GDP for 2026. This allocation is the highest defense spending of the country relative to its economic size.</p><p>The Senate allocated P90-B for the modernization of the AFP.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>ON THE ENVIRONMENT</strong></div><p>The Climate Change Commission is set to receive an additional P55-M, specifically for the establishment of a roving Climate Change Academy in coordination with SUCs, DepEd schools, and Local Government Units.</p>

<p>The Finance Committee has asked the full Senate to reduce the New Appropriations in the proposed 2026 National Budget by over P68.667 billion.</p>

The Finance Committee has asked the full Senate to reduce the New Appropriations in the proposed 2026 National Budget by over P68.667 billion.

Senate bares proposed adjustments to 2026 budget

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Senate bares proposed adjustments to 2026 budget

RG Cruz,

ABS-CBN News

Published November 12, 2025 11:46 PM PHT

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Senate

2026 national budget

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