The House that never learns

Even as revelations of anomalous flood control projects and grotesque kickbacks obliterated Filipinos' sense of proportion, lawmakers pushed through with a budget that perpetuates the very scheme that enabled this plunder.

- DIWA C. GUINIGUNDO

By passing the P6.793-trillion national budget for 2026, the House of Representatives once again disproved Benjamin Franklin's timeless insight on learning: "Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn.

For despite being told, taught, and fully involved in the unraveling of the flood control scandal that shocked the nation, the lower house still learned nothing. Even as revelations of anomalous flood control projects and grotesque kickbacks obliterated Filipinos' sense of proportion, lawmakers pushed through with a budget that perpetuates the very scheme that enabled this plunder.

Various House committees may have held hearings to “establish the truth,” but the truth hurt too much to act upon. The 2026 budget was mangled once more to favor vested interests. Funds meant for health and education were shortchanged; allocations for vital social infrastructure were diverted to private gain. Mansions, luxury cars, and designer goods became the unintended beneficiaries of public money.

But they never learn.

The House's greatest sin is institutionalizing the abuse of unprogrammed appropriations (UA) — the murky reserve funds that have turned into a parallel budget.

In principle, UA are standby funds released only if there are excess revenues, new loan proceeds, or foreign grants secured after the budget is enacted. They provide flexibility for unforeseen priorities without the need for supplemental appropriations, an understandable fiscal instrument - in theory.

But in practice, UA has become the black box of the national budget. Projects funded under UA are often not specified in the General Appropriations Act (GAA), making them nearly impossible for civil society or oversight bodies to track. This opacity has opened the door to ghost projects, substandard works, and politically driven spending.