Maria Virginia Sy

The Department of Budget and Management (DBM), led by Secretary Amenah F. Pangandaman, submits the FY 2026 National Expenditure Program (NEP) to House Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez.    The  proposed FY 2026 National Budget amounts to Php 6.793 trillion,  equivalent to 22.0 percent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and higher by  7.4 percent compared to this year’s national budget.

Article (news)

FY 2026 National Budget

Vivienne Gulla

Rowegie Abanto

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/175505839765620250813-romualdez-pangandaman-DBM.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">The DBM officially turns over to the House of Representatives the proposed P6.793 trillion national budget for 2026 on Wednesday, Aug. 13, 2025. Photo courtesy of DBM</span></span></span></div><p>MANILA <strong>(UPDATE) </strong>— The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) on Wednesday submitted to Congress the 2026 National Expenditure Program (NEP)—which outlines the proposed P6.79-trillion budget for next year—kicking off the budget season on the heels of an intensified scrutiny into flood control projects.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/business/2025/8/12/dbm-submits-to-marcos-jr-p6-79-t-proposed-budget-for-2026-1811">DBM submits to Marcos P6.79-trillion proposed budget for 2026</a></div><p>DBM Secretary Amenah Pangandaman, on behalf of President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr., led the Executive delegation in delivering the NEP to the lawmakers.</p><p>The 2026 NEP is 7.4 percent higher than this year&#x27;s budget, according to information from Malacañang.</p><p>&quot;While this is 7.4 percent higher than this year’s P6.362 trillion national budget, the economic team carefully considered the available fiscal space, and worked diligently to tighten the budget,&quot; she explained.</p><p>Pangandaman said the social services sector—which covers education, health, and social protection—received the biggest allocation at P2.3 trillion under the 2026 NEP.</p><p>During the turnover ceremony, House Speaker Martin Romualdez announced several reforms for this year&#x27;s budget proceedings, including abolishing the small committee and opening the bicameral conference committee deliberations to the public.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/8/11/15-contractors-cornered-p100-b-worth-of-flood-control-projects-since-2022-marcos-1053">15 contractors cornered P100-B worth of flood control projects since 2022: Marcos</a></div><p>&quot;We will remove the &#x27;small committee&#x27; that collated institutional amendments. Bukas ang talakayan. Lahat ng amendments, alam ng mamamayan... We will open the Bicameral Conference Committee on the budget to the public and the media... We will invite civil society, people’s organizations, and the private sector to join budget hearings,&quot; Romualdez said.</p><p>&quot;Ang pambansang budget ay hindi pag-aari ng mga politiko. Ito ay pera ng bawat Pilipinong nagbabayad ng buwis,&quot; he added.</p><div><br/></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&amp;href=https%3A%2F%2Fweb.facebook.com%2FabscbnNEWS%2Fvideos%2F690800957333663%2F&amp;show_text=false&amp;width=560&amp;t=0" width="560" height="314" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><strong>Under the 2026 National Expenditure Program, these departments received the biggest allocations:</strong></div><div><br/></div><p>• Education (DepEd) - P928.5 billion</p><p>• Public Works (DPWH) - P881.3 billion</p><p>• Health (DOH and PhilHealth) -P320.5 billion</p><p>• Defense (DND) - P299.3 billion</p><p>• Interior and Local Government (DILG) - P287.5 billion</p><p>• Agriculture (DA and attached corporations, DAR) - P239.2 billion</p><p>• Social Welfare (DSWD and NCSC) - P227.0 billion</p><p>• Transportation (DOTr and attached corporations) - P198.6 billion</p><p>• Judiciary - P67.9 billion</p><p>• Labor and Employment (DOLE and DMW) - P55.2 billion</p><div><br/></div><p>The DBM said it evaluated the budget proposals of agencies based on alignment with the priorities of the &quot;Philippine Development Plan 2023-2028, shovel readiness, absorptive capacity of the agency, fiscal space, and impact.&quot;</p><p>&quot;We also limited new construction to focus on the completion of ongoing projects... We also encouraged agencies to adopt efficiency measures, we reduced non-essential maintenance and other operating expenses, including travel, training and utilities, and lastly, those projects with the highest impact,” Pangandaman said</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/business/2025/7/28/marcos-warns-i-won-t-sign-budget-misaligned-with-gov-t-plans-1831">Marcos warns: I won&#x27;t sign budget &#x27;misaligned&#x27; with gov&#x27;t plans</a></div><p>The House Speaker vowed to prioritize in the national budget investments that will “change lives”, including agriculture, infrastructure for connectivity and jobs, education, health, defense, and disaster preparedness.</p><p>“In the coming weeks, we will review every page of this NEP guided by one question: “Makakabuti ba ito sa ating mga kababayan?” If yes, we will support it. If not, we will work to make it better,” Romualdez said.</p><p>In his fourth State of the Nation Address in July, Marcos warned lawmakers against insertions in the next year&#x27;s budget. </p><p>The President said he would not sign a fresh spending bill if it was &quot;not duly aligned&quot; with the NEP, adding that he was &quot;willing to do this even if we end up with a reenacted budget.&quot;</p><div><strong>— With reports from Katrina Domingo and RG Cruz, ABS-CBN News</strong></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEOS</strong></div><div><br/></div><div><strong><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/4SjAf1aWP4I?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Xwumj61fNF4?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span></strong><br/></div>

<p>During the turnover ceremony, House Speaker Martin Romualdez announced several reforms for this year's budget proceedings, including abolishing the small committee and opening the bicam deliberations to the public.</p>

During the turnover ceremony, House Speaker Martin Romualdez announced several reforms for this year's budget proceedings, including abolishing the small committee and opening the bicam deliberations to the public.

DBM transmits proposed P6.79-T budget for 2026 to Congress

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DBM transmits proposed P6.79-T budget for 2026 to Congress

Vivienne Gulla,

Rowegie Abanto,

ABS-CBN News

Published August 13, 2025 10:58 AM PHT

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Updated August 13, 2025 12:34 PM PHT

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