Jauhn Etienne Villaruel

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. signs the General Appropriations Act (GAA) for Fiscal Year 2026 at the Ceremonial Hall of Malacañang on Monday, January 5, 2026. The national budget, enacted as Republic Act No. 12314, amounts to Php6.793 trillion. Yummie Dingding, PPA pool

Article (news)

Victoria Tulad

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1767591589513viber_image_2026-01-05_12-38-25.jpg" style="width:960px;display:block;height:auto" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. signs the General Appropriations Act (GAA) for Fiscal Year 2026 at the Ceremonial Hall of Malacañang on Monday, January 5, 2026. The national budget, enacted as Republic Act No. 12314, amounts to Php6.793 trillion. <em>Yummie Dingding, PPA pool</em></span></span></span></div><p style="text-align:left">MANILA (<strong>UPDATED</strong>) — Senators on Monday welcomed the signing of the P6.793 trillion 2026 national budget, as well as the veto of nearly P92.5 billion worth of projects under the unprogrammed appropriations (UA).</p><p>Asked for his reaction on the veto, Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III said in a message: “I know the 2026 budget is by far the cleanest ever but it seems the President wants it squeaky clean. He even highlighted the Senate provision that prevents political patronage by politicians.”</p><p>Sotto said the President was correct in vetoing the said items.</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>“Malinis yun budget pero gusto ni PBBM mas malinis pa,” Sotto added.</p><p>Senator Erwin Tulfo, Vice Chairperson of the Senate Finance Committee, described the budget as the “most transparent budget law in the recent history” and commended the veto.</p><p>“This is what we need, a budget that will restore the public’s trust to the government. We are grateful that the President heeded our call to limit the use of unprogrammed appropriations and vetoed P92.5 billion worth of projects lodged under this budgetary mechanism,” Tulfo said in a statement.</p><p>“President Marcos’ decision to veto several items under the unprogrammed funds is just a step toward full and real accountability,” he added.</p><p>Tulfo had previously questioned the P243 billion allocated for the UA during the bicameral conference committee, saying this could be prone to misuse.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/1/5/marcos-jr-signs-p6-79-t-national-budget-for-2026-1008">Marcos signs P6.79-T budget for 2026, vetoes P92-B unprogrammed funds</a></div><p>“While the Senate and House of Representatives were able to push for transparency features such as accessible budget portals and live streaming of the Bicam for this year’s budget, we carry the huge responsibility to ensure that every single peso is for the benefit of the Filipino,” Tulfo said.</p><p>“We will be on the lookout on how every project will be accomplished so there will be no more unfinished or substandard projects in the future. This is only the beginning of a genuine reform in the government,” he remarked.</p><p>Senator Bam Aquino also welcomed the budget signing and highlighted the much needed help the education sector will receive since it will get the most funding amounting to P1.34 trillion.</p><p>“Panalo ang kabataang Pilipino ngayong naaprubahan na ang 2026 national budget. Sa pamamagitan nito, mapopondohan na at maipatutupad nang tama ang mga mahahalagang programang makatutulong upang mapalakas at mapabuti ang sektor ng edukasyon,” Aquino said in a statement.</p><p>“May pondo na para sa pagpapatayo ng mga silid-aralan, dagdag na budget para sa school-based feeding program at libreng kolehiyo, at iba pang mahahalagang suporta para sa mga mag-aaral upang matiyak na mas maayos silang makakapag-aral,” he added.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/12/28/lacson-guarding-use-of-2026-budget-next-challenge-for-public-0922">Lacson: Guarding use of 2026 budget ‘next challenge’ for public</a></div><p>According to Aquino, P68 billion of the education budget will be for the construction of new classrooms, P25.6 billion for the expansion of the School-Based Feeding Program, and P67 billion for the implementation of Republic Act 1093 or the Free College Law, among others.  </p><p>“Sama-sama nating bantayan ang paggamit ng pondong ito, hanggang sa kahuli-hulihang sentimo, upang masigurong mapupunta ito sa edukasyon at hindi sa korapsyon,” Aquino said.</p><p>Asked if he was happy with the veto, Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo said in a message: &quot;Yes, happy, satisfied.&quot;</p><p>In a statement, he added: &quot;P150.905 billion is the exact amount that survived the veto, of which, P97.3 billion for Government Support to Foreign-Assisted Projects, P3.6 billion for Program on Risk Management, and P50 billion for the revised AFP Modernization Program. All other seven items under UA were vetoed.&quot;</p><p>&quot;We need the government support to Foreign Assisted Projects and the Revised AFP Modernization Program as our commitments to our economic development and national security,&quot; he added.</p><p>Lacson also said that the P35.769 billion for &quot;Government of the Philippines counterpart of Foreign-Assisted Projects&quot; could be a duplication of the support to FAP, which is why it is okay to be vetoed. </p><p>He welcomed as well the President&#x27;s message that the government will implement the prohibition on political involvement in the distribution of assistance.</p><p>&quot;We welcome the provision on the Prohibition on Political Involvement in the Distribution of Cash and Other Forms of Financial Assistance as it will ensure that assistance reaches its intended beneficiaries fairly, transparently, and solely on the basis of need. The Senate bicam panel stood firm on this after I pushed hard on it as part of my numerous amendments against political patronage in dispensing health and social assistance to the truly deserving Filipinos,&quot; Lacson said.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO</strong></div><div><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/Z0Ff-PqnyVE?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div>

<p>Senators on Monday welcomed the signing of the P6.793 trillion 2026 national budget, as well as the veto of nearly P92.5 billion worth of projects under the unprogrammed appropriations (UA).</p>

Senators on Monday welcomed the signing of the P6.793 trillion 2026 national budget, as well as the veto of nearly P92.5 billion worth of projects under the unprogrammed appropriations (UA).

'Cleanest budget ever': Senators laud signing of 2026 budget, veto of UAs

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'Cleanest budget ever': Senators laud signing of 2026 budget, veto of UAs

Victoria Tulad,

ABS-CBN News

Published January 05, 2026 01:43 PM PHT

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Updated January 05, 2026 04:18 PM PHT

Read More:

Senate

2026 budget

National budget

Tito Sotto

Erwin Tulfo

Bam Aquino

Unprogrammed appropriations

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