MANILA – Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez vowed that the House of Representatives will ensure every peso in the proposed P6.793-trillion 2026 national budget has a clear purpose and delivers tangible benefits to the Filipino people.

“Bawat piso, may pinaglalaanan; bawat gastusin, dapat may pakinabang sa tao,” Romualdez said during the turnover of the 2026 National Expenditure Program (NEP) by the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) to the House.

The 2026 NEP, equivalent to 22 percent of the country’s GDP, is 7.4 percent higher than this year’s ₱6.326-trillion budget. It allocates bigger funding for education, healthcare, social protection, and food security to sustain economic momentum.

Framed under the theme “Agenda for Prosperity: Nurturing Future-Ready Generations to Achieve the Full Potential of the Nation,” next year’s spending plan is anchored on the Philippine Development Plan 2023–2028 and the long-term vision of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.

Romualdez said the NEP is “more than numbers on paper” and reflects the government’s plan to make the vision of a Bagong Pilipinas real, citing infrastructure, affordable food markets, accessible schools, well-equipped hospitals, and safe communities.

“A budget is not just a spending plan—it is a mirror of our priorities and a measure of our accountability to the people,” he said. “And because this is the people’s money, the process of crafting it must be transparent, inclusive, and worthy of public trust.”

DBM Secretary Amenah F. Pangandaman said the 2026 NEP is a carefully crafted plan that tightens allocations while delivering historic investments in education, health, and food security.

She announced that for the first time, the budget for basic and higher education will meet UNESCO’s recommended spending target of at least 4 percent of GDP. The ₱1.224-trillion allocation, or 16.6 percent of the budget, also exceeds the UNESCO Education 2030 Framework requirement of 15–20 percent of total public expenditure and surpasses the global average of 14.2 percent.

Healthcare funding will increase by 23.6 percent, covering PhilHealth subsidies, expanded medical aid for indigent patients, and higher budgets for Department of Health hospitals—up 20.2 percent in Metro Manila and 26.1 percent in the regions. The NEP also funds Bukas Centers to provide affordable, quality healthcare in communities.

To strengthen food security, the Department of Agriculture and its attached agencies will receive ₱239.2 billion. The Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund will be tripled, and the National Rice Program budget will rise by 38 percent. The plan also includes a National Agricultural Food Hub and continuation of the Rice for All Program, which benefits over 15 million households.

Infrastructure spending will remain at 5–6 percent of GDP under the Build Better More Program, alongside ₱87.33 billion for digital transformation of government services.

Other major allocations are ₱55.2 billion for labor and employment programs, ₱299.3 billion for the Department of National Defense, ₱287.5 billion for the Department of the Interior and Local Government, and ₱67.9 billion for the Judiciary.