The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) submitted Malacañang’s proposed P6.793 trillion national budget for 2026 to the House of Representatives on Wednesday.
The proposed budget, which is equivalent to 22 percent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), is 7.4 percent higher than the current year’s budget of P6.326 trillion.
Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman said the economic team “carefully considered the available fiscal space and worked diligently to tighten the budget.”
P272B for flood control
The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is set to receive P272 billion for its flood control program, slightly higher than this year’s allocation of P254 billion.
This is part of the DPWH’s total proposed budget of P881.3 billion, which is the third-highest sector allocation.
Pangandaman noted that the total proposed flood control budget for 2026 is actually P274.9 billion, with the remaining amount to be managed by the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA).
The budget secretary assured that the DBM ensured the DPWH conducted “proper planning and corresponding studies” for these projects, especially since President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has ordered an investigation into the graft-ridden program.
“We expect them to fully complete [the projects] and we will make sure that it will go to the right places,” she stated.
Congressional scrutiny
Speaker Martin Romualdez assured the public that “the House will work swiftly to pass the 2026 General Appropriations Act on time.” He described the budget as “the people’s budget” and said its success would be measured by its tangible benefits to Filipino families.
House Committee on Appropriations Chairperson Mikaela Suansing said the panel will “thoroughly scrutinize” the proposed flood control budget. The committee will ensure the DPWH coordinates with Regional Development Councils (RDCs) before identifying project areas.
To provide more time for budget hearings, the House has rescheduled its session adjournment from October 4 to October 11. House Majority Leader Ferdinand Alexander Marcos thanked the Senate for agreeing to this change, which will ensure the timely transmission of the budget.
Sector allocations
The largest chunk of the proposed budget will go to social services, receiving a total of P2.314 trillion.
The top three agencies with the highest proposed allocations are: Department of Education with P928.5 billion; DPWH with P881.3 billion; and the Department of Health with P320.5 billion.
The DBM also shared projections on the country’s finances: the national government’s outstanding debt is projected to reach P19.05 trillion by the end of 2026, up from P17.35 trillion this year.
The government will need to borrow about P2 trillion to finance the 2026 budget, with an expected revenue collection of P4.9 trillion.
Despite the rising debt, DBM projects the country’s debt-to-GDP ratio will go down to 5.3 percent next year, as GDP growth is expected to outpace the increase in debts.
Family budget
Speaker Martin Romualdez emphasized that the 2026 national budget is “more than numbers and tables—it is a family’s budget.”
Anchored on the theme, “Agenda for Prosperity: Nurturing Future-Ready Generations to Achieve the Full Potential of the Nation,” the spending plan outlines investments in what matters most to Filipino households: good education, food security, safe communities, and job opportunities.
Romualdez vowed that the House would exercise its power of the purse with transparency and accountability, stating in Filipino, “every peso has a clear destination: children’s education, parental health, food on the table, and a secure tomorrow.”
He added that every project must be “shovel-ready, corruption-free, and responsive to the needs of our people.”
