Dennis Gaviola

Residents of Balagtas, Bulacan on Saturday, October 4, 2025, held an “anti-corruption” walk and prayer rally calling for accountability over the flood control scam. Facebook/Tindig Balagtas

Article (news)

Katrina Domingo

ABS-CBN News

<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/17620482743841762048271826.jpeg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/>Residents of Balagtas, Bulacan on Saturday, October 4, 2025, held an “anti-corruption” walk and prayer rally calling for accountability over the flood control scam. Facebook/Tindig Balagtas </div>BUSAN, South Korea — The Philippine government “will be able to show” that the country can pass a “good, clean budget” for next year, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said on Saturday, months after he called out public officials for packing the 2025 General Appropriations Act with pet projects that were later found to be either non-existent or substandard. He said that lawmakers in both houses of Congress have already found potential savings in their scrutiny of the proposed 2026 budget.“I think we will be able to show that it is, in fact, possible to write a good, clean budget,” he said.<div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/10/26/gatchalian-senate-review-could-lead-to-budget-lower-than-proposed-in-nep-1338">Gatchalian: Senate review could lead to budget lower than proposed in NEP</a></div>Despite this, Marcos Jr. acknowledged that no government can fully rid its ranks of corrupt officials.“You will never be able to say that we have removed corruption kasi laging may loko diyan. Kahit anong gawin mo maghahanap ng paraan ‘yan para lokohin ang gobyerno,” he said.(There will always be scoundels there. Whatever you do, they will try to find a way to defraud the government)“But if the systems are in place you make it harder and harder for those people to do ‘yung nangungurakot (engage in corruption). Make it harder and harder for them to do,” he said.Before leaving for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit in South Korea last week, Marcos Jr announced that the Department of Public Works and Highways has been mandated to cut construction material costs by up to 50 percent, which could tranlate to savings of P30 billion and P45 billion.“The harder it becomes, the smaller the number of people who are still operating under corrupt practices,” the President said, adding reforms are ongoing.“It’s not something that you can solve with one fell swoop.”<div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/business/2025/11/1/marcos-jr-investor-confidence-in-ph-stronger-2246">Marcos Jr.: Investor confidence in PH ‘stronger&#x27; after flood control exposé </a></div>Marcos Jr. earlier told Congress that he would veto the entire 2026 budget if it is found to be riddled with congressional discretionary funds and if it does not align with national priority projects and programs.The House of Representatives has already passed its version of the General Appropriations Bill, while the Senate is finalizing its take on the annual spending bill before both chambers convene for a bicameral conference.The House and the Senate have agreed to make the bicameral budget deliberations, historically held behind closed doors, transparent.The decision was prompted by public outrage over insertions in the proposed national budget that were not subjected to plenary discussion.

“I think we will be able to show that it is, in fact, possible to write a good, clean budget,” Marcos Jr. said.

“I think we will be able to show that it is, in fact, possible to write a good, clean budget,” Marcos Jr. said.

Marcos Jr. confident PH can have ‘good, clean budget’ in 2026

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Marcos Jr. confident PH can have ‘good, clean budget’ in 2026

Katrina Domingo,

ABS-CBN News

Published Nov 02, 2025 10:03 AM PHT

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Updated Nov 02, 2025 07:12 PM PHT

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Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

General Appropriations Act

National budget

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