DAVAO CITY, Philippines – The House of Representatives’ proposed 6.3-trillion national budget for 2026 is criticized by the House progressives and independents, calling it filled with pork barrel funds amounting close to 1 trillion that serve political interests of lawmakers.
The budget was passed on Monday with a vote of 287-12 with two abstentions as House Bill No. 4058 or the 2026 General Appropriations Bill (GAB) which now moves to the Senate for review before being signed into law.
The twelve representatives who opposed the 2026 budget are: Kaka Bag-ao (Dinagat Islands), Perci Cendaña, Chel Diokno, and Dadah Ismula (Akbayan Partylist), Renee Co (Kabataan Partylist), Leila de Lima (Mamamayang Liberal), Sarah Elago (Gabriela Women’s Party), Egay Erice (Caloocan, 2nd District), Krisel Lagman (Albay, 1st District), Leandro Leviste (Batangas, 1st District), Paolo Marcoleta (SAGIP Partylist), and Antonio Tinio (ACT Teachers Partylist).
The two representatives who abstained from voting are Pwersa ng Pilipinong Pandagat Rep. Harold Duterte and Dasmariñas Rep. Kiko Barzaga, both identified as critiques of the Marcos Jr. administration.
Davao City’s First District Rep. Paolo Duterte and his son, 2nd District Rep. Omar Duterte were absent from voting.
Bag-ao is the only representative from Mindanao who opposed the proposed budget.
Pork for congressmen/women
The progressive bloc noted the persistence of 695 billion in pork barrel allocations and 243 billion in unprogrammed appropriations, which give the Executive wide discretion to release funds without definite revenue sources.
The Makabayan bloc revealed that while 255 billion worth of the controversial flood control projects have been removed and realigned to education, health, social services and agriculture sectors, these are still put under programs of legislators through medical assistance, ayuda, and farm-to-market roads, which they say maintain political patronage.
They point out pork allocation in social service and infrastructure budgets are aligned to the president and to district representative including:
- 415 billion in legislative pork barrel coming from the president
- 174.6 billion funds through DPWH’s District Engineering Offices which will allot a minimum of 230 million per congressional district and 3.2 billion per senator
- 32.6 billion for farm-to-market roads, 35.1 billion for school buildings, 20.2 billion for health facilities, and 9.6 billion for irrigation under the discretion of legislators
- 130.4 billion worth of “ayuda funds” including medical assistance, livelihood programs, scholarships, and crisis intervention funds
Of the 25 state universities across the nation, only the University of the Philippines will be given an additional 1 billion increase from the reallocation of funds from the Department of Public Works and Highways.
ACT Teachers Rep. Antonio Tinio expressed during the voting, “Hindi ito (This is not the) people’s budget,” criticizing the severe underfunding of essential services while “tuloy ang ligaya ng iilan at ng mga dayuhan (the elites and foreign investors remain happy).” Elago called the budget “a pork feast for the powerful and scraps for the people. ”
House Deputy Minority Leader de Lima described unprogrammed appropriations as “constitutionally abhorrent,” arguing they undermine Congress’s power of the purse.
Makabayan also criticized the allocation of confidential and intelligence funds that amounted to 10.9 billion, along with the NTF-ELCAC’s 8.08 billion Barangay Development Fund, while the Office of the President gets the biggest share worth 4.5 billion.
The progressive bloc said that these allocations still invite corruption as district representatives get to choose and intervene on projects allocated to their district.
“As has been revealed in various congressional inquiries, projects proposed or nominated by lawmakers are already presumed to be tainted by corruption through a system of rigged bids and kickbacks involving the DPWH and private contractors,” they said.
More protests
IBON Foundation Executive Director Sonny Africa said that this shows the Marcos Jr. administration’s supposed crackdown on flood-control corruption was “masterful theater” and a misdirection to conceal 696 billion in pork for the president and lawmakers, while weakening the opposition to “keep power beyond 2028.”
Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) warned that the supposed realignment of flood-control funds simply diverted pork to traditional patronage projects like multipurpose buildings, classrooms, irrigation, and ayuda programs. They also flagged Marcos Jr.’s control over 243 billion in unprogrammed funds as a powerful political war chest.
Progressive groups vowed to ramp up protests and budget monitoring under the banners of #AbolishPorkBarrel, #KurakotManagot, and #BantayBudget2026, saying the 2026 budget entrenches corruption and political patronage while neglecting social services.
The Senate is expected to begin deliberations in the coming weeks ahead of the December deadline for enactment.(davaotoday.com)
