Business group wants rules on aid distribution

Upgrade to High-Speed Internet for only ₱1499/month!

Enjoy up to 100 Mbps fiber broadband, perfect for browsing, streaming, and gaming.

Visit Suniway.ph to learn

January 7, 2026 | 12:00am

MANILA, Philippines — The Makati Business Club (MBC) is urging President Marcos to issue an executive order covering the rules and mechanisms for the disbursement of state financial aid and limiting confidential funds to promote transparency and accountability in the national budget.

In a statement yesterday, the MBC said that while the 2026 budget signed by Marcos represents improvements compared to the past few years, tougher action should have been taken on unprogrammed allocations.

Marcos vetoed P92.5 billion worth of unprogrammed appropriations in this year’s budget, but retained P150.9 billion in unprogrammed allocations.

The MBC warned that unprogrammed allocations could be subject to discretionary disbursement.

“The President has promised that politicians will not be allowed to intervene in the allocation of ayuda funds, but more than a verbal reassurance, we are requesting an EO to create rights-based and rules-based mechanisms to govern the disbursement of ayuda funds and to strictly limit confidential and intelligence funds to legitimate security uses,” the group said.

At Monday’s budget signing ceremony, Marcos said the government will prohibit politicians from taking part in the distribution of any financial aid.

Marcos said this would be strictly implemented as the government wants to ensure that the support reaches the intended beneficiaries without patronage.

Despite safeguards, including making funds only available after clearly defined tests are triggered and careful validation, the MBC said these are untested, making the implementation phase critical.

The MBC also emphasized the need for more transparency and pushed for full public access to the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System data set for complete scrutiny.

For its part, the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) cited the need for the effective implementation of the budget in consultation with the private sector.

“Implemented with integrity and in close consultation with the private sector, the 2026

GAA (General Appropriations Act) can be a transformative tool for enhancing Philippine competitiveness,” PCCI president Ferdinand Ferrer said.

To further strengthen budget transparency, Ferrer expressed support for the proposed Citizens’ Access and Disclosure of Expenditures for National Accountability or CADENA Act, which seeks to make public spending fully transparent, traceable and accountable.