House passes P7.2-trillion 2027 budget amid pork barrel concerns

LOWER CHAMBER. The House of Representatives Session Hall.

House of Representatives' Facebook page

'This budget is not people-centered. It is election-centered,' says Mamamayang Liberal Representative Leila de Lima

AT A GLANCE

• The House of Representatives in the Philippines passed a P7.2-trillion national budget for 2027, receiving 282 votes in favor amid opposition from some lawmakers and civil society groups concerned about 'pork barrel' allocations.
• Critics, including several representatives, argue that the budget prioritizes election-centered spending and lacks transparency, particularly regarding social assistance programs that could be misused for political patronage.
• The People's Budget Coalition has raised alarms over significant cuts to foreign-assisted projects, warning that these reductions could delay essential infrastructure developments and expose the government to additional fees.

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MANILA, Philippines – The House of Representatives passed the proposed P7.2-trillion national budget for 2027 on third and final reading on Monday, October 12, amid concerns from some lawmakers and civil society organizations that the spending plan is riddled with pork barrel allocations.

The measure received 282 votes in favor, 13 against, and one abstention.

Among those who voted against the proposed budget were Dinagat Islands Representative Kaka Bag-ao, Akbayan Representative Percival Cendeña, Kabataan Representative Renee Co, Mamamayang Liberal Representative Leila de Lima, Cebu City 1st District Representative Rachel del Mar, Gabriela Representative Sara Elago, Caloocan 2nd District Representative Edgar Erice, Kamanggagawa Representative Eli San Fernando, Navotas Representative Toby Tiangco, and ACT Teachers Representative Antonio Tinio.

Most of these lawmakers flagged the huge allocation for ayuda or social assistance programs which, they say, are prone to use for patronage politics.

“This budget is not people-centered. It is election-centered,” De Lima said. The 2027 budget will be used a year before the 2028 national elections.

Erice, San Fernando, and Tiangco also flagged the lack of transparency in the budget process.

San Fernando questioned the budget amendments review committee’s meeting over its supposed executive session on Thursday, October 1.

The livestream of the hearing was supposed to start at 1 pm, but it only started at 5:07 pm. In that meeting, lawmakers allocated a bigger budget for social assistance programs and infrastructure projects.

The People’s Budget Coalition (PBC), a civil society group monitoring the national budget, also criticized the proposed spending plan, warning against the use of public funds for political patronage.

These include the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations, the Department of Health’s Medical Assistance for Indigent and Financially Incapacitated Patients, and the Department of Labor and Employment’s Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged Workers.

The coalition also flagged a P130-billion cut in foreign-assisted projects, including the Metro Manila Subway, the North-South Commuter Railway, bypass roads, and flood mitigation projects in major river basins.

According to the coalition, these projects are backed by loans that the Philippines has already signed. Budget cuts could delay their implementation without canceling the loans, potentially exposing the government to additional commitment fees and penalties.

PBC asked President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., Budget Secretary Kim de Leon, Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon, Senate finance committee chair JV Ejercito, and Senate President Win Gatchalian “to check the abuses of the House.”

“We refuse to let our 2027 budget become a playground for patronage and corruption again, one year after a trillion-peso flood scandal. This is our tax. This is our vote. This is our budget,” the coalition said. – Rappler.com