HOUSE APPROVES P6.793-TRILLION 2026 BUDGET BILL

THE House of Representatives on Monday approved on third and final reading House Bill (HB) 10800 or the proposed P6.793-trillion national budget for 2026.

A total of 287 lawmakers voted in favor of the General Appropriations Bill (GAB), 12 voted against the measure while two abstained.

House Speaker Faustino “Bojie” Dy III said the approved  P6.793-trillion 2026 national budget reflects a government united in purpose and focused on delivering tangible results for the Filipino people.

Sa ilalim ng budget na ito, tinugunan natin ang panawagan ni Pangulong Ferdinand Marcos Jr. na palakasin ang mga pangunahing sektor ng ating lipunan, lalong-lalo na ang edukasyon, ang kalusugan, at ang panlipunang pangangailangan,” the Speaker said.

He noted that the education sector received the largest allocation at P1.281 trillion, equivalent to 4.1 percent of the country’s GDP, underscoring the administration’s investment in human capital.

The spending plan also strengthens healthcare, infrastructure and social protection to promote inclusive and equitable development.

“Ang bawat proyekto ay sinuri upang masiguro na mapupunta ito sa mga lugar at sektor na higit na nangangailangan,” Dy pointed out.

The bill’s approved version contains reduced allocations for the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), the Office of the Vice President (OVP), and unprogrammed funds that have been denounced by many legislators.

The approved budget realigned P255 billion of the DPWH budget to other social programs, including the education sector, which has the lion’s share of P56 billion. The amount is reallocated to the Philippine Science High School System, Commission on Higher Education (CHED), Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), and state universities and colleges.

The House-approved budget also contained the slashed OVP’s proposed 2026 budget of P889 million in new appropriations, now at the same 2025 budget level at P733 million.

Dy said the House worked closely with the Executive branch through the LEDAC to ensure that both the national budget and the legislative agenda advance the same goals of reform and resilience.

He added that the 44 LEDAC priority bills are designed to spur economic growth, strengthen governance and secure long-term social progress.

These include the proposed Rice Industry and Consumer Power Act, Disaster Risk Financing and Insurance Framework, Coconut Farmers and Industry Trust Fund Amendments, and Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program Act, as well as the Department of Water Resources Bill, Waste-to-Energy Bill, National Land Use Bill, Blue Economy Bill, and amendments to the Bank Secrecy Law and Electric Power Industry Reform Act (EPIRA).

“Lahat ng ito ay bahagi ng ating pangarap na maitaguyod ang isang matatag na ekonomiya—bukas para sa lahat, at handang sumabay sa pagbabago ng panahon,” explained Dy.

During the first LEDAC meeting of the 20th Congress on September 30, the House also proposed eight new reform measures to reinforce the administration’s Philippine Development Plan and eight-point Socioeconomic Agenda.

Among these are the Disaster Risk Financing and Insurance Framework to ensure swift and transparent calamity response, and a bill to strengthen the Bases Conversion and Development Authority by extending its corporate life and opening select lands for development.

The House is also pushing a Presidential Merit Scholarship Program for outstanding students from low- and middle-income families, and a bill disqualifying relatives of officials up to the fourth degree from entering government contracts to strengthen integrity in public service.

To safeguard democracy, it seeks to regulate digital campaigning through a Fair Use of Social Media, AI and Internet Technology in Elections Act, and to modernize the Bureau of Immigration (BI) by professionalizing its ranks, adding visa categories and upgrading border security.

Other proposals include the Rice Industry and Consumer Empowerment (RICE) Act, which aims to stabilize prices and empower the National Food Authority (NFA) , and the Magna Carta for Barangays, which will institutionalize long-overdue benefits and ensure resources for local officials and communities.