The Makabayan bloc in the House of Representatives voted NO to the ratification of the Bicameral Conference Committee Report on House Bill No. 4058, or the proposed 2026 General Appropriations Bill.
This budget is not for the Filipino people. Hindi ito para sa taumbayan. It is a budget designed for the political survival of the corrupt Marcos administration, a budget that perpetuates systemic corruption through billions in pork barrel funds, and a budget that enables fascist repression against a growing people’s movement demanding accountability and genuine democracy
Despite claims of being “people-centered,” the 2026 national budget fails to address the fundamental needs of the Filipino people. There is no substantial allocation for genuine agrarian reform or national industrialization. While funding for education, healthcare, housing, and other social services remains woefully inadequate, billions are poured into pork barrel funds, fascist programs, debt servicing, and projects that serve foreign interests.
The ratification process itself was a mockery of transparency. The bicameral report was railroaded in less than a minute, with no opportunity for House members to raise questions or manifestations on the changes made by the committee. Walang pagkakataon para sa tunay na pagsusuri.
The administration claims this is a “pork-free budget.” This is a brazen lie. The 2026 budget is riddled with multiple forms of pork barrel: presidential pork, vice-presidential pork, allocables, hard pork, soft pork, generals’ pork, and the newest variant—LGU pork.
The bicameral committee bloated LGU pork to unprecedented levels. The Local Government Support Fund (LGSF) was increased by ₱41.87 billion—from ₱16 billion in the National Expenditure Program to ₱57.87 billion, the largest in history. Financial Assistance to LGUs ballooned from ₱5 billion to ₱37.5 billion, while the Growth Equity Fund jumped from ₱1 billion to ₱11.3 billion—both lump-sum funds that can be used for infrastructure and ayuda at the discretion of politicians.
Even the Calamity Fund was converted into pork. A new lump-sum fund, the Disaster Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Assistance Program for LGUs, was allocated ₱15.33 billion—a new form of presidential pork barrel that can be used for roads, bridges, multi-purpose buildings, and ayuda in areas affected by calamities, epidemics, or armed conflict over the past two years.
In total, LGU pork in the 2026 budget amounts to ₱73.2 billion.
Meanwhile, the ₱8 billion generals’ pork—the Support to Barangay Development Program under the NTF-ELCAC—remains intact, funding militarization and fascist operations in communities. Confidential and intelligence funds were increased to over ₱11 billion,
To fund these pork barrel allocations, the bicameral committee slashed funds for the salaries, benefits, and regularization of government employees. The Miscellaneous Personnel Benefits Fund was reduced by ₱10.77 billion, and the Pension and Gratuity Fund was cut by ₱32 billion, with these amounts transferred to Unprogrammed Appropriations.
While we successfully prevented the ₱20.56 billion cut to performance-based bonuses and plantilla positions for government employees and public school teachers, ₱43.25 billion for Personnel Services Requirements now sits in Unprogrammed Appropriations—with no certainty that these will be funded next year.
Unprogrammed Appropriations, which have no constitutional basis and have been grossly abused in past years, remain in the budget at ₱243 billion. This is nothing but a massive presidential pork barrel fund, a slush fund prone to corruption and political manipulation. The new General Provision No. 78 on Suspension of Expenditure—reminiscent of the unconstitutional Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP)—allows the President to impound MOOE and capital outlays when “public interest so requires” or when there is an “unmanageable budget deficit.” This provision can be deliberately used to create “savings” to augment other pork barrel programs.
The budget more than doubles allocations for band-aid assistance programs that fuel patronage politics: Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) at ₱63.9 billion, Medical Assistance to Indigent and Financially Incapacitated Patients (MAIFIP) at ₱51.6 billion, and Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (TUPAD) at ₱22.4 billion.
Kahit ano pang pangalan ang gamitin, these programs constitute the essence of the pork barrel system—rebranded but fundamentally unchanged. They prioritize short-term, fragmented assistance over accessible and adequate healthcare, education, decent work, and livelihood.
Worse, the President now has his own exclusive soft pork: the Presidential Assistance to Farmers and Fisherfolk. Instead of genuine agrarian reform, the junking of the Rice Liberalization Law, and a stop to agricultural imports, farmers and fisherfolk are offered measly ayuda.
There is also a glaring lack of substantial funding for the full implementation of the Magna Carta of Women, the Anti-VAWC Law, and Early Childhood Care and Development programs. This budget sponsors poverty and job insecurity, then offers band-aid assistance as a tool for political patronage.
Para sa ordinaryong mamamayan, kahit consolation prize wala sila. The big winners remain the corrupt officials who have yet to be jailed but will feast on the fattened pork barrel next year.
For students—*ang mga pag-asa ng bayan*—the budget offers only breadcrumbs. The measly 4% increase in the education budget is too little, too late. Walang maipagmamalaki dito. Breadcrumbs will not reverse decades of state abandonment and commercialization of our education system. The concrete needs of students, teachers, and schools must be addressed with allocations far exceeding the bare minimum international standards this administration brags about.
This budget, ayon nga sa mga kabataan, is not giving. It’s not giving free, quality, and accessible education. It’s not giving national development. It’s not giving human rights, and it’s not giving hustisya para sa mga inaaaping sektor.
With its back against the wall, the Marcos administration is tightening its grip on public funds and various factions through bloated pork barrel allocations, especially under Unprogrammed Appropriations.
Whatever shiny coating they deploy, this is a budget for the political survival of the Marcos administration, a budget that enables systemic corruption, and a budget for fascist repression of a growing people’s movement for accountability and genuine democracy.
The Filipino people deserve better. They deserve a budget that prioritizes genuine land reform, national industrialization, free and quality public education and healthcare, decent jobs and living wages, and social services that uplift rather than patronize. #
