THE PAMPANGA Business Circle expresses serious concern over the approval by the House of Representatives, on Oct. 12, 2026, of House Bill No. 10858, or the proposed ₱7.2-trillion General Appropriations Bill for Fiscal Year 2027. The House disclosed approximately ₱116.32 billion in amendments and realignments to the National Expenditure Program (NEP) submitted by the Executive Branch.
The measure was approved on third and final reading with 281 affirmative votes, 13 negative votes, and one abstention.
While the House leadership maintains that the amendments strengthen essential public services, questions raised by several lawmakers regarding transparency, funding sources, and possible pork barrel-type allocations deserve serious and independent examination.
We condemn any attempt to turn the national budget into an instrument of political patronage, personal enrichment, or discretionary control over public funds.
The Filipino people deserve more than assurances of transparency. They deserve complete information, verifiable justifications, and accountability.
₱116.32 Billion in Amendments Deserves Full Public Scrutiny
Among the reported funding adjustments are:
* ₱25.81 billion in additional funding for the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations program.
* ₱24.97 billion in additional funding for the Department of Health’s medical assistance program for indigent patients.
* ₱20.86 billion in additional funding for agriculture.
* ₱11.49 billion in additional funding for infrastructure under the Department of Public Works and Highways.
* ₱8.12 billion in additional funding for the education sector.
* ₱2.35 billion in additional funding for the Department of Transportation.
These are reported realignments and additions, not findings of irregularity.
PBC recognizes that many of these programs address legitimate needs, especially those of poor and marginalized Filipinos. However, the legitimacy of a program does not automatically establish the propriety of every appropriation made in its name.
We support genuine assistance to the poor. We oppose any system that turns assistance into political patronage or makes beneficiaries dependent on politicians rather than accountable government institutions.
We therefore demand that the Senate examine the detailed sources, intended uses, implementation mechanisms, and safeguards of these amendments.
Every significant allocation must answer four fundamental questions: Why is it necessary? Who will implement it? Who will benefit? How will results be measured?
The National Budget Is Not a Political Entitlement
Congress has the constitutional authority to review and amend the national budget. However, this authority must be exercised with fiscal responsibility, transparency, and fidelity to the public interest.
Public funds belong to the Filipino people. They are not the personal funds of legislators, political parties, or government officials. No elected official should exercise improper discretionary control over project implementation, beneficiary selection, or the release of funds.
Pork barrel politics, regardless of how it is packaged or renamed, has no place in responsible government. It is unacceptable for questionable projects to receive funding while Filipino families continue to struggle with inadequate healthcare, overcrowded classrooms, food insecurity, recurring floods, and limited employment opportunities.
Prepare for El Niño, Flooding, and Other Climate Threats
PBC calls on Congress to ensure adequate funding for preparedness against a possible very strong El Niño expected to persist through the first half of 2027, consistent with PAGASA’s climate outlook.
The government must prioritize water security, irrigation rehabilitation, agricultural productivity, drought-resilient farming, food security, watershed protection, and emergency preparedness.
For Pampanga and Central Luzon, recurring flooding remains a major threat to lives, agriculture, infrastructure, businesses, and economic development.
PBC has formally proposed to the Regional Development Council III the development of a comprehensive and integrated flood management master plan for Central Luzon.
We strongly advocate scientifically designed, coordinated, and sustainable flood mitigation investments rather than fragmented projects that may provide only temporary relief.
The country cannot continue spending billions on flood control without ensuring that projects are technically sound, properly implemented, independently monitored, and part of a comprehensive flood management strategy.
Our Appeal to the Senate: Correct What Must Be Corrected
PBC respectfully calls upon the Senate, particularly the Senate Committee on Finance, to undertake a rigorous, independent, and transparent examination of HB 10858.
We urge the Senate to:
- Publish an itemized comparison of the original NEP and the House-approved budget, including significant amendments, their justifications, and funding sources.
- Scrutinize assistance programs and infrastructure appropriations vulnerable to political influence, weak accountability, or misuse.
- Reject unjustified allocations, inadequately documented projects, and appropriations that cannot demonstrate genuine public benefit.
- Protect essential funding for education, healthcare, agriculture, water security, climate resilience, infrastructure, and productive employment.
- Ensure full transparency during Senate deliberations and the bicameral conference committee process, including the publication of significant changes before final ratification.
The Senate must not become a rubber stamp for questionable appropriations. Neither should it become another venue for unjustified political insertions.
We appeal to Senate Finance Committee chairperson Senator JV Ejercito, Senator Panfilo Lacson, and all members of the Senate to exercise independent judgment, fiscal discipline, and statesmanship. The Filipino people expect the Senate to protect the national interest, not political accommodations.
Our Appeal to President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.
Should Congress fail to produce a responsible, transparent, and people-centered budget, we respectfully urge President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to exercise his constitutional authority, including the line-item veto power over specific appropriations where legally applicable.
Mr. President, your strong warning against corruption in your 2025 State of the Nation Address, “Mahiya naman kayo!” must be reflected in concrete decisions concerning public expenditures.
The fight against corruption must extend beyond investigations and public statements. It must include preventing questionable appropriations from becoming law and strengthening accountability in their implementation.
No political accommodation should take precedence over the welfare of the Filipino people.
PBC’s Position: A Budget for National Development, Not Political Privilege
As business leaders and concerned citizens, we understand that public resources are limited and that government must make difficult choices.
We believe the national budget should prioritize investments that create lasting economic and social benefits, including education, healthcare, agricultural modernization, infrastructure, industrialization, export development, productive employment, and support for vulnerable communities.
Every peso wasted on an unnecessary project is a peso denied to a classroom, hospital, farmer, worker, or community in need.
To the House of Representatives: Public office is a public trust. Explain and justify the amendments. Remove appropriations that cannot withstand public scrutiny.
To the Senate: Correct what must be corrected. Reject what cannot be justified. Protect what the Filipino people genuinely need.
To the President: Uphold fiscal integrity. Exercise constitutional safeguards. Let accountability prevail over political convenience.
The national budget must be judged not by its enormous size, but by the measurable and lasting improvements it delivers to the lives of Filipinos.
₱7.2 trillion is an enormous responsibility. The ₱116.32 billion in House amendments disclosed so far deserves equally enormous scrutiny.
PBC is not against Congress exercising its constitutional authority. We are against the abuse of that authority and any attempt to use public funds for political advantage.
The Filipino people deserve a national budget that protects their future, not one that perpetuates political privilege.
Public funds must serve the people, never the personal or political interest of those entrusted to govern.
“A Public Statement of the Pampanga Business Circle (PBC)”
(The Pampanga Business Circle (PBC) is an independent, nonpartisan fellowship of business leaders, professionals, and concerned citizens advocating good governance, inclusive economic development, sustainable infrastructure, and responsible citizenship.)
