Government to propose record P6.793 trillion budget for 2026

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

June 29, 2025 | 12:00am

MANILA, Philippines — The Marcos administration is proposing another record budget of P6.793 trillion for 2026 as the government moves to finance its priority programs and achieve its macroeconomic targets.

In a briefing following the 191st Cabinet-level Development Budget Coordination Committee (DBCC) meeting last week, Budget Secretary and DBCC chair Amenah Pangandaman said the proposed National Expenditure Program (NEP) for 2026 is at P6.793 trillion.

The record budget level proposed for next year is 7.4 percent higher than this year’s allocation of P6.326 trillion.

Next year’s budget proposal remained at the same level earlier proposed by the government. It did not include additional proposals from state agencies even after more than P10 trillion in budget submissions were received.

“We stick to the budget given the adjustments in our disbursements, revenue and spending,” Pangandaman said.

“We also use some framework on how to be able to reduce the project request and programs of the government,” she said.

Next year’s budget is equivalent to 22 percent of the economy.

“For the next three years, we will focus on the social services sector, mainly human development, health and social protection,” Pangandaman said.

“Infrastructure will remain the same at five to six percent and digital infrastructure and agriculture,” she said.

Pangandaman noted that the economic team is set to present the NEP to the Cabinet by mid-July.

It will then be submitted to Congress two weeks after the President’s State of the Nation Address (SONA).

Should the timetable be followed, this will still be ahead of schedule as the constitutional deadline for the submission of budget is 30 days after the SONA.

Anchored on the theme “Nurturing a Future-Ready Generation to Achieve the Full Potential of the Nation,” the national budget also seeks to prioritize human capital development by prioritizing investments in quality education, healthcare and workforce upskilling.

“By building a strong, capable and future-ready workforce, the budget aims to unlock the country’s full potential,” Pangandaman said.

She added that this will be complemented by key reforms that enhance transparency and improve bureaucratic efficiency such as the New Government Procurement Act and the recently ratified Government Optimization Act.