By Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio, Reporter
The House of Representatives passed on final reading the proposed P6.793-trillion national budget for 2026, concluding 62 days of deliberations marked by heightened scrutiny over a widening corruption scandal involving flood control projects.
In a 287-12-2 vote, congressmen approved the revised budget bill that rechanneled the bulk of funding from numerous flood control projects under the Public Works department to priority sectors such as education, in a move aimed at strengthening human capital development.
“This budget cycle is unprecedented,” Nueva Ecija Rep. Mikaela Angela B. Suansing, who heads the House Appropriations Committee, told the floor. “We needed to navigate through complexities while implementing sweeping reforms in long-standing budget processes and traditions.”
Lawmakers debate House Bill No. 4058 or the proposed 2026 General Appropriations Act against the backdrop of the multibillion-peso flood control controversy, drawing in closer-than-normal scrutiny amid calls to make the budget process more transparent.
The 2026 spending plan, 7.4% higher than the 2025 budget, saw a select committee of lawmakers redirecting P201.1 billion or 78.86% of the P255 billion worth of funding originally intended for flood control infrastructure primarily towards education, food and healthcare sectors.
