Proposed national budget: Good but will Congress approve it in toto?

Recently, the Development Budget Coordination Committee (DBCC), chaired by Department of Budget and Management (DBM) Secretary Amenah F. Pangandaman, approved the proposed FY 2026 National Budget at P6.793 trillion or a 7.4% increase from the previous year.

- Fidel O. Abalos

This is 22.0% of the country's gross domestic product (GDP).

According to Sec. Pangandaman, with the theme, Nurturing Future-Ready Generations to Achieve the Full Potential of the Nation, this fiscal year's national budget “prioritizes human capital development by prioritizing investments in quality education, healthcare, and workforce upskilling.” More importantly, “these are complemented by continued investments in the Build Better More Infrastructure Program and digital transformation,” she added.

As usual, expect a lot of drama when it goes to congress. Just be ready for some insertions. So much so that we can hardly see even a shadow of this proposed budget. Remember what Senator Panfilo Lacson revealed recently? Multibillion peso “pork barrel” were allocated to several congressmen with one cornering P15 billion. Probably, this is the only country in the world with a presidential system where lawmakers are more concerned of performing executive functions than crafting laws.