A budget for redemption, a promise for trust

The passage of the proposed P6.793-trillion national budget for 2026 in the House of Representatives is Congress' wager for redemption more than an annual undertaking.

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In an era still stained by the specter of the anomalous flood-control projects and murky budget insertions, this bold spending framework offers a chance to heal the breach between state and citizen, to show that politics need not be a game of hidden agendas but a covenant of service.

When the controversy over questionable flood control projects erupted, public outrage was not merely about money lost; it was betrayal felt deep into the bones. It was the anguish of countless Filipinos who have long suspected that public funds means “special interests.” The damage was not just fiscal; it was moral. Today, amid skepticism, Congress must show that it has learned that every peso bears a human story.