DBM

"From what the DPWH (Department of Public Works and Highways) regional office submits, politicians already have (budget) insertions there, the pork barrel is inserted, so that when it reaches Malacañang, the pork barrel is already there," Drilon said in a radio interview on Sunday.

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The NEP, also called the President's budget, is prepared by the budget department that details how government funds will be allocated for the next fiscal year and is submitted to Congress for deliberation and approval.

Based on Budget 101 of the DBM, line departments and implementing agencies prepare and submit the detailed budget estimates, ranking programs, activities and projects. Afterwards, the budget department leads the budget call and conducts technical budget hearing.

For 2026, the total expenditure plan resulted in an over P10-trillion budget proposal, but this was reduced to P6.793 trillion, given the limited fiscal space.

The top sectors with the most funding are the infrastructure sector with P1.56 trillion, or 5.1 percent of the country's gross domestic product, which includes funding for the local government. This is followed by the education sector with a P1.22 trillion budget in 2026.

Reallocation?

The Department of Agriculture (DA) said allocating flood control funds to irrigation and drainage system projects would instead provide water to vast hectares of farmland, boosting productivity and agricultural resilience.