Dinagat Islands solon rejects proposed 2027 national budget

SAN FRANCISCO, Agusan del Sur — Dinagat Islands Rep. Arlene “Kaka” Bag-ao has voted against  the proposed P7.2 trillion 2027 General Appropriations Act (GAA), warning that the national spending plan “abandons ordinary Filipinos in favor of bloated debt servicing and obscure unprogrammed funds while neglecting vital public services and food security.”

In a privilege speech during the House plenary session on Monday, Bag-ao said the 2027 proposed budget fails to put regular citizens first.

“The national budget mirrors who the government truly values. But if we scrutinize and examine the proposed budget for 2027, the ordinary Filipino is not the priority here,” she said in Filipino.

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READ: House approves P7.2-trillion 2027 budget bill on final reading

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She explained her ‘No’ vote is “for farmers without irrigation, fishers without a catch, and ordinary Filipinos who are always left behind in public services.”

The lawmaker cited three primary grounds for rejecting the proposed administration budget; chief among them was the stark imbalance between automatic debt repayment and social investments.

Bag-ao lamented that automatic appropriations for foreign debt payments expand faster than state allocations for public hospitals, schools, and social housing.

“It is unreasonable that billions are automatically paid to foreign banks while we run short of funds to operate basic public services,” she stressed.

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Bag-ao also scored the lack of concrete preparation for severe climate disruptions, particularly the projected onslaught of a “super” El Niño in 2027.

Despite clear forecasts of prolonged dry spells, she said the budget failed to allocate adequate funding for farm irrigation, municipal water supply, and direct economic safety nets for small farmers and fishers.

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Without specific budgetary buffers, she warned, the government is essentially gambling with national food security.

The lawmaker also criticized the inclusion of P112 billion in unprogrammed appropriations, insisting that public funds must remain clear, transparent, and firmly planned out.

READ: ‘Politics-centered’ 2027 budget looms in House, says watchdog

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By setting aside over P100 billion in standby appropriations without guaranteed revenue sources, the administration is withholding vital resources that could otherwise immediately plug chronic budget deficits in basic healthcare and agriculture, Bag-ao said. /coa