MANILA, Philippines – Inaprubahan ng Kamara nitong Biyernes, Oktubre 10 ang proposed P6.793 trillion national budget para sa 2026 sa ikalawang pagbasa matapos bawasan ang alokasyon para sa Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), Office of the Vice President, at unprogrammed funds.
Bumoto ang mga mambabatas sa pamamagitan ng voice vote o viva voce.
Sa inaprubahang budget, inilipat ang P255 bilyon ng pondo ng DPWH patungo sa iba pang social programs kung saan ang education sector ay nakakuha ng pinakamalaking bahagi sa P56 bilyon.
Ang P56 bilyon ay paghahatian ng Philippine Science High School System, Commission on Higher Education, Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, at State Universities and Colleges.
Binawasan din ng Kamara ang proposed 2026 budget ng OVP na P889 milyon at ibinalik sa 2025 level nitong P733 milyon.
Ito ay kasunod ng pagtanggi ni Vice President Sara Duterte na idipensa ang kanyang proposed budget sa plenaryo.
Idinipensa naman ni House appropriations panel chairperson at Nueva Ecija Rep. Mikaela Suansing ang pagtapyas sa pondo at sinabing ang halaga ay sapat na para tugunan ng OVP ang kanilang mandato.
“We want to protect the interests of the personnel within the office of the Vice President and so we will ensure that the personal services [budget] will reflect that. Second, we will also ensure that the final budget of the Office of the Vice President will be sufficient for that,” ani Suansing.
Inalis din sa bersyon ng Kamara sa 2026 budget ang P35 bilyong halaga ng pagpopondo para sa Strengthening Assistance for Government Infrastructure Program (SAGIP) sa ilalim ng unprogrammed fund.
Ang mga items sa unprogrammed fund ay mapopondohan lamang kung may sobrang koleksyon ang pamahalaan o pondo mula sa foreign loans o grants.
“Infrastructure projects would no longer be part of the authorized uses for unprogrammed appropriations, save for infrastructure projects under foreign-assisted projects. What we have now [under the unprogrammed appropriations] is for strengthening assistance for social program which would be P45 billion in total,” sinabi pa ni Suansing.
“And all of those [P45 billion] relate to programs under the Department of Agriculture such as subsidies to farmers, rice subsidies…under the DSWD (Department of Social Welfare and Development) as an augmentation for the 4Ps (conditional cash transfer program), given that there is an expected shortfall in the funding for 4Ps due to the reduction [of its budget] from 2025,” dagdag pa niya. RNT/JGC
