Jamaine Punzalan

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. receives the final FY 2027 National Expenditure Program (NEP) from Acting Department of Budget and Management Secretary Kim Robert de Leon during its formal presentation at Malacañan Palace on Monday, August 10, 2026. Presidential Communications Office

Article (news)

MARCOS

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/178781082114120260811-national-expenditure-program-dbm-PCO1.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. receives the final FY 2027 National Expenditure Program (NEP) from Acting Department of Budget and Management Secretary Kim Robert de Leon during its formal presentation at Malacañan Palace on Monday, August 10, 2026. Presidential Communications Office</span></span></span></div><p>SAN JOSE, Batangas — Executive Secretary Ralph Recto on Thursday reiterated that there are no discretionary funds for lawmakers in the <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/business/2026/8/11/dbm-turns-over-p7-2-trillion-budget-bill-to-house-1323">proposed P7.2-trillion national budget for 2027.</a></p><p>Recto gave the statement weeks after former Public Works Secretary Manuel Bonoan told an anti-graft court that “all senators” each availed of a P500-million sum under the Department of Public Works and Highways’ 2025 General Appropriations Act (GAA).</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/8/12/bonoan-set-to-testify-in-revilla-trial-0850">Bonoan: At least P500-million DPWH ‘leadership funds’ allocated to each senator in FY 2025</a></div><p>“Walang discretionary fund sa 2027 budget,” Recto told reporters in a chance interview.</p><p>“Lahat ng nakalista diyan ay may program of work pagdating sa DPWH, lahat yan may dokumento, lahat yan may programa,” he said.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/business/2026/8/11/philippines-to-borrow-p1-7-trillion-next-year-to-finance-projected-budget-gap-1925">Philippines to borrow P1.7 trillion next year to finance projected budget gap</a></div><p>While the education sector remains to have the biggest chunk of the 2027 budget with about P1 trillion, the biggest increase goes to the national tax allotment for local government units, Recto said.</p><p>“Pinakamalaki ang increase for national tax allotment for all local government units, that’s about an 11 percent increase,” he said.</p><p>“You have roughly a trillion pesos for education that will support roughly 30 million students, the biggest in our history,” he said.</p><p>The 2027 proposed budget is some P400 billion higher than this year’s public spending fund.</p><p>When asked about concerns if the 2027 spending bill was hiked to accommodate early campaign funds for the upcoming 2028 national elections, Recto said: “I will not comment on aspersions. I think what is important is we have crafted a good 2027 budget.”</p><p>The health sector gets the second highest allocation at P650 billion, followed closely by the<a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/8/26/dpwh-seeks-p83-84-billion-for-locally-funded-flood-control-says-no-leadership-fund-in-2027-1538"> DPWH with around P640 billion</a>, the Executive Secretary said.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/business/2026/8/11/marcos-admin-proposes-p10-77-billion-confidential-intel-funds-in-2027-budget-1928">Marcos admin proposes P10.77 billion confidential, intel funds in 2027 budget</a><br/><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/8/15/lacson-flags-questionable-lump-sum-items-in-proposed-2027-budget-1207">Lacson flags &#x27;questionable&#x27; lump sum items in proposed 2027 budget</a><br/><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/8/17/dbm-dof-chiefs-confirm-no-allocation-for-pax-silica-in-2027-budget-1924">DBM, DOF chiefs confirm no allocation for Pax Silica in 2027 budget</a></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/aawNAOkrf2o?&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/j1Oenfqm_M4?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div>

<p>Executive Secretary Ralph Recto on Thursday reiterated that there are no discretionary funds for lawmakers in the proposed P7.2-trillion national budget for 2027.</p>

Executive Secretary Ralph Recto on Thursday reiterated that there are no discretionary funds for lawmakers in the proposed P7.2-trillion national budget for 2027.

Recto: No discretionary fund in ‘good’ P7.2-trillion budget proposal

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Recto: No discretionary fund in ‘good’ P7.2-trillion budget proposal

Katrina Domingo,

ABS-CBN News

Published August 27, 2026 02:11 PM PHT

Read More:

Ralph Recto

national budget

2027 budget

discretionary fund

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