MANILA, Philippines — Several lawmakers have raised red flags over the proposed P6.793-trillion national budget for 2026, warning that it remains laden with what they described as “repackaged pork barrel” funds spread across various government programs.
Senator Imee Marcos, a member of the Bicameral Conference Committee (Bicam), said she refused to sign the reconciled budget, citing what she called “giniling pork”, discretionary funds allegedly broken down into smaller allocations to avoid scrutiny.
Marcos pointed to a reported P143.8-billion increase allocated to several assistance and infrastructure programs, including the Medical Assistance for Indigent and Financially Incapacitated Patients (MAIFIP), Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations (AICS), Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Displaced Workers (TUPAD), Presidential Assistance to Farmers, Fisherfolk and Families (PAFF), Farm-to-Market Roads (FMR), and the Local Government Support Fund (LGSF).
“I did not sign the ‘giniling’ budget. There is still pork, it has just been chopped up to make it less noticeable,” Marcos said.
She added that she strongly opposed redirecting funds originally removed from flood control projects toward what she described as “soft pork” programs that have long been associated with political incentives.
Marcos also questioned the P124.58-billion reduction in funding for major infrastructure projects such as the North-South Commuter Railway and the Metro Manila Subway.
Members of the Makabayan bloc echoed these concerns. ACT Teachers party-list Rep. Antonio Tinio, Gabriela party-list Rep. Sarah Elago, and Kabataan party-list Rep. Renee Co said the 2026 budget fails to provide sufficient funding for genuine agrarian reform and national industrialization.
They argued that allocations for education, healthcare, housing, and other social services remain inadequate, while billions are channeled to various forms of pork barrel funds, debt servicing, and projects, which they said primarily benefit foreign interests.
The Makabayan lawmakers cited sharp increases in lump-sum funds, including the LGSF, which rose by P41.87 billion from P16 billion under the National Expenditure Program (NEP) to P57.87 billion in the Bicam-approved budget.
Financial assistance to local government units also surged from P5 billion to P37.5 billion, while the Growth Equity Fund jumped from P1 billion to P11.3 billion.
They also flagged a new lump-sum allocation worth P15.33 billion for the Disaster Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Assistance Program for LGUs, which they described as another form of presidential pork barrel that could be used for infrastructure projects and cash aid.
Despite the criticism, Bicol Saro party-list Rep. Brian Yamsuan, also a Bicam member, defended the budget, saying it reflects the government’s priorities in education and healthcare.
Yamsuan pointed to the P1.38-trillion allocation for the education sector and nearly P130 billion for the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) as evidence that the 2026 budget makes the right investments.
Under the Bicam-approved measure, the Department of Education and its attached agencies will receive P961.3 billion, an increase of P86.7 billion from the amount proposed in the NEP.
State Universities and Colleges were allocated P138 billion, the Commission on Higher Education P47 billion, and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority P26 billion.
PhilHealth’s budget rose from P53.2 billion under the NEP to P129.7 billion following additional allocations approved by the House of Representatives and savings generated from adjustments in the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) budget.
The DPWH adjustments, which involved recalculating construction costs for around 10,000 projects, resulted in P20.7 billion in savings.
Of this amount, P16.5 billion was realigned to PhilHealth, while the remaining P4.25 billion was allocated to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Fund to boost aid for calamity victims.
Yamsuan said safeguards were added to DPWH projects, including requirements for precise geographic coordinates and station numbers, as well as the creation of a transparency portal to allow public monitoring.
Meanwhile, funding for Department of Health-run hospitals increased to P29.9 billion, up from P26.4 billion under the NEP.
Regional hospitals received P101.7 billion, while the Health Facilities Enhancement Program budget rose to P26.2 billion.