Tinio urges Senate to make ‘necessary corrections’ to 2027 budget

MANILA, Philippines — ACT Teachers Rep. Antonio Tinio on Thursday urged the Senate to make “necessary corrections” to the House-approved P7.2-trillion national budget for 2027 as senators prepare to review the spending plan.

In a statement, Tinio said he hopes the Senate will strip “pork” from the budget bill instead of adding its own discretionary projects for next year.

“The Senate should review the amendments made by the House, particularly the increases in hard (infrastructure) and soft (ayuda) pork items at the expense of education, health, and personnel benefits,” he said.

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“The swapping out of funding for a handful of foreign-assisted projects backed by contracted loans for thousands of local infrastructure projects could raise the deficit, lead to increased borrowing, and add costs to the government due to delays and penalties,” he added.

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The House of Representatives has approved its version of the budget, which critics said carved out funding for local public works projects and programs that reinforce political patronage.

READ: Watchdogs question transparency in House OK of 2027 budget bill

Watchdogs had warned that the House may have shuffled nearly P200 billion in the budget bill, surpassing the P116 billion in realignments disclosed by a select panel of ranking lawmakers in the lower chamber.

“We hope that, instead of introducing pork-type amendments of its own, the Senate makes the necessary corrections, cuts pork from the budget, and addresses the cuts and deficiencies in health, education, agriculture, and personnel benefits, among others,” Tinio said.

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“Turn away from ayuda and instead focus on funding the expansion and improvement of hospitals and schools,” he added.

He also urged senators to “substantially increase” the Personal Economic Relief Allowance, a stipend for government workers whose amount has remained unchanged for 17 years. /mcm