Jauhn Etienne Villaruel

Article (news)

Katrina Domingo

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/1767588398247viber_image_2026-01-05_12-38-29.jpg" style="width:960px" 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. Yummie Dingding, PPA pool</span></span></span></div><div><br/></div><p>MANILA<strong> (2nd UPDATE)</strong> — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. signed on Monday the Philippines’ P6.79-trillion national budget for 2026 and vetoed almost P92.5-billion worth of projects lodged under the unprogrammed appropriations (UA) in the national budget.</p><div><a 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>While projects under the UA are those deemed on “standby” as they may only be executed if “revenue collection exceed targets and when additional grants or foreign funds are generated,” these items in the budget have been criticized as another form of discretionary fund that is vulnerable to corruption.</p><p>Weeks before the signing of the GAA, several lawmakers questioned why the UA supposedly ballooned to over P200 billion.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong><u></u></strong><u></u><u>Under the unprogrammed allocations in the 2026 GAA, Marcos retained only the following items:</u></div><div><strong></strong><br/></div><div><span style="background-color:transparent">• Support to Foreign-Assisted Projects (P97.30 billion)</span></div><p>• Program on Risk Management (P3.6 billion)</p><p>• Revised AFP Modernization Program (P50 billion)</p><div><br/></div><p>In his speech after signing the 2026 spending plan, Marcos underscored that “unprogrammed appropriations are not blank checks,” and guaranteed that its utilization “is provided with safeguards and is only available when clearly defined triggers and tests are met.”</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/12/23/palace-marcos-mobilizing-team-to-review-2026-budget-1230">Palace: Marcos ‘mobilizing team’ to review 2026 budget</a></div><p>“My administration will enforce these safeguards without exception to serve public interest and advance our national development goals,” he said.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>KEY ALLOCATIONS</strong></div><div><br/></div><p>The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) described the 2026 national budget as a “decisive shift toward a people-centered development agenda that focuses on human capital and the aspirations of the next generation” with education still receiving the biggest allocation under the country’s annual spending bill.</p><p>This year, the education sector is given P1.345 trillion or 4.36 percent of the country’s gross domestic product, according to information from the DBM.</p><p>The fund is expected to “provide funding for the creation of 32,916 teaching and 32,268 non-teaching plantilla positions in public schools and expand funding for the construction of 24,964 classrooms nationwide.”</p><p>The health sector will receive “its highest budget level” pegged at P448.125 billion to fund the Department of Health’s Universal Health Care Fund for Zero Balance Billing (ZBB), interventions for communicable and non-communicable diseases, disease surveillance, sustainable health financing and the employment of more doctors and nurses across the country.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/business/2025/12/30/keep-an-eye-on-lgu-aid-fund-in-2026-budget-economist-says-1358">&#x27;One of biggest red flags&#x27;: Keep an eye on LGU aid fund in 2026 budget, economist says</a></div><p>Some P297.102 billion was allocated for the agriculture sector as the Marcos Jr. administration continues its push to attain food security through the modernization of farming and fishing systems and supply chains.</p><p>This year, the Philippines will spend P270.18 billion for social services, while P15.33 billion is earmarked for the country’s Disaster Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Assistance Program.</p><p>The allocation for local government units was hiked “to address local development challenges and enhance the well-being of every community,” the DBM said without giving a specific amount.</p><p>After days-long deadlocks in the Bicameral Conference Committee, the Office of the President received the final and approved version of the General Appropriations Bill on December 29, 2025 or just 2 days before the 2025 national budget expired.</p><p>“The Executive received the enrolled bill on December 29, 2025 and conducted a thorough and careful review of the proposed budget to ensure consistency with the administration&#x27;s priorities and taking into consideration valuable recommendations from stakeholders,&quot; DBM Secretary Rolando Toledo said.</p><p>The passage of the 2026 GAA comes as Marcos Jr.’s administration remains under fire for billions-worth of taxpayers’ money that was lost to substandard and non-existing flood control projects, as well as slow moving investigations and incarcerations personalities supposedly involved in the Philippines’ so-called “biggest corruption scandal.”</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>&#x27;EXERCISE PRUDENCE&#x27;</strong></div><div><br/></div><p>In his speech in the Palace, the President directed all government agencies “to exercise prudent fiscal management and make sure uninterrupted quality public service.”</p><p>“Magtratrabaho ang administrasyong ito upang mapabuti ang sistema, mapalakas ang pananagutan at matuldukan ang katiwalian,” he said.</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><strong></strong>“Sa lahat ng adhikaing ito, dalangin ko na maging katuwang namin ang bawat mamamayang Pilipino. Ang pagbabantay, pagtatanong, ang pag-uulat at pakikilahok sa mahahalagang bahagi ng isang gumaganag demokrasya.”</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO </strong></div><div><br/></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/mLIvsjn88Cs?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br style="caret-color:rgb(0, 0, 0);color:rgb(0, 0, 0)"/></div>

<p>President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. signed on Monday the Philippines’ P6.79-trillion national budget for 2026 and vetoed several items that were lodged under the unprogrammed appropriations (UA).</p>

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. signed on Monday the Philippines’ P6.79-trillion national budget for 2026 and vetoed several items that were lodged under the unprogrammed appropriations (UA).

Marcos signs P6.79-T budget for 2026, vetoes P92-B unprogrammed funds

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Marcos signs P6.79-T budget for 2026, vetoes P92-B unprogrammed funds

Katrina Domingo,

ABS-CBN News

Published January 05, 2026 10:08 AM PHT

|

Updated January 05, 2026 02:54 PM PHT

Read More:

Malacañang

2026 budget

2026 General Appropriations Bill

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