Latest news with #NationalExpenditureProgram
GMA Network
4 days ago
- Business
- GMA Network
DBM eyes 'menu system' for infra, flood projects to fight issues on insertions
The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) is pushing for a nationwide 'menu' of pre-identified infrastructure projects starting with flood mitigation programs to solve issues regarding budget insertions. In a radio interview on Super Radyo dzBB on Tuesday, Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman explained that creating a menu of pre-approved infrastructure projects across the country would allow agencies and lawmakers to choose from a list of thoroughly evaluated proposals. These projects, she said, are already aligned with national priorities and available funding under the President's budget or the National Expenditure Program (NEP). 'Ang naisip po sana namin na maganda ay magkaroon kami ng menu ng mga proyekto sa buong Pilipinas. Kung kaya namin kaagad, kunyari sa flood control and water management, makapag-identify kami ng sampu. Kunwari po, tapos napondohan namin sa President's budget o kaya sa NEP, kung sa tingin nila hindi yan priority pa ngayon, pwede sila tumingin sa ibang menu na meron kami," said Pangandaman. (What we're thinking of doing is creating a menu of projects across the Philippines. If we can immediately identify, say, ten flood control and water management projects and fund them in the President's budget or the NEP, and if lawmakers think those aren't a current priority, they can look at other projects on our menu.) She also said that the government is working toward a more "coordinated and data-driven approach" in allocating funds, particularly for flood mitigation projects. "'Di lang yan one-size-fits-all na solusyon. Marami pwedeng solusyon na gawin depende sa lugar at area," said Pangandaman. (Flood mitigation isn't a one-size-fits-all solution. There are many possible approaches depending on the location and area.) Pangandaman added that the DBM has already incorporated this principle into the national budget process, ensuring that agencies are involved in project planning to maximize efficiency. 'Para makatipid tayo sa pondo, tsaka to ensure na tama yung pagpa-plano. Nilagay natin yan sa budget, lahat ng ahensya may stake doon at gagawin ang proyekto," she added. (To save funds and ensure proper planning, we included this in the budget. All agencies have a stake in it and will implement the project.) President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. in July approved the P6.793-trillion NEP for Fiscal Year 2026. Pangandaman said the President himself sat down with the different agencies to ensure that all the priorities are aligned towards the common goal of achieving the vision of a Bagong Pilipinas. Vetting Pangandaman, meanwhile, made clear that projects inserted into the budget outside the official process, such as those coming from lawmakers, will not be considered if they were not technically vetted. 'Hindi po, hindi po namin maco-consider yung tinatawag na insertion kasi hindi kasama yon sa napag-aralan namin," she said. (No, we cannot consider what's called an insertion because it's not part of what we have studied.) She also warned that bypassing this system by inserting unstudied projects risks wasting time, money, and resources. 'Pero sana po hindi po manggaling sa hindi napag-aralan, yung basta lang po inilagay doon, kasi masasayang yung napaghandaan namin na menu na iyon," she added. (But hopefully, it doesn't come from something unstudied—just added there—because it would waste the planned and prepared project menu we worked on.) From 2023 to 2025, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) received around P980.25 billion for flood control initiatives—an average of P326.75 billion annually—according to GMA Integrated News Research. In his 2025 State of the Nation Address (SONA), President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. directed the DPWH to submit a complete list of all flood control projects, both completed and ongoing, to evaluate delays and flag possible ghost projects. DPWH Secretary Manuel 'Manny' Bonoan has since admitted that the agency lacks a monitoring system for some flood control initiatives—particularly those inserted by lawmakers without undergoing technical review. —Sherylin Untalan/ VAL, GMA Integrated News
Filipino Times
5 days ago
- Business
- Filipino Times
Gatchalian: OVP's 2026 budget feasible without confidential funds
Senator Sherwin Gatchalian said the proposed 2026 budget of the Office of the Vice President (OVP) is considered 'feasible' as long as it excludes confidential funds. At a press briefing on Monday, the Senate finance committee chairman emphasized that he will be stricter in reviewing confidential and intelligence fund requests under the proposed 2026 national budget, adding that these funds should be limited to enforcement and intelligence agencies only. 'The most contentious item has always been the confidential funds, and the OVP no longer has that in its 2025 budget. What's left are bare-bones allocations for its operations and a few projects of the Vice President,' Gatchalian said. The proposed budget of the OVP, led by Vice President Sara Duterte, increased by P170 million—from P733 million in 2025 to P903 million in 2026. OVP spokesperson Ruth Castelo clarified that the office will not seek confidential funds next year. Last year, the House slashed the proposed P2 billion OVP budget to P733 million after Duterte refused to answer queries regarding the use of confidential funds. The Senate maintained this cut despite appeals from Duterte's allies to restore funds for social services. Gatchalian also vowed to push for more transparency, saying the public should be able to access all budget documents online—from the initial National Expenditure Program to the final General Appropriations Act. He said agencies' budget request forms, specifically DBM's Form 201, should be published on official websites so Filipinos can track how funds are proposed and approved.
GMA Network
5 days ago
- Politics
- GMA Network
Marcos: Executive tasked to submit budget plan, make sure funds are secure
It's the job of the executive branch to come up with a spending plan and make sure that government funds are allocated to that program, and neither wasted nor stolen, President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. has said. In an interview with GMA Integrated News' Ivan Mayrina, Marcos was asked to react to Senate President Francis ''Chiz'' Escudero, who said that the National Expenditure Program submitted by the executive to Congress was subject to changes by the legislature. Marcos, in his State of the Nation Address, said that he was prepared to veto a General Appropriations Bill crafted by Congress but not in line with the NEP. He said he was ready for the reenactment of the 2025 national budget if next year's proposed allocations were not in harmony with the expenditure program. ''Trabaho naman talaga ng Congress 'yung gagawin nila 'yung budget. Ngunit trabaho naman namin na magbigay ng plano at humingi ng pondo sa Kongreso para lahat ng ating mga gustong gawin ay ating magagawa. At hindi nawawala, nawawaldas, nananakaw ang pera ng tao. Iyon lang naman ang habol namin,'' Marcos said. (It's the job of Congress to craft the budget. But it's our job to provide a plan and ask for funds from Congress so that we can accomplish what we set out to do, and that the public funds would neither be lost nor stolen. That's what we want.) He also mentioned that those foreign-assisted projects have encountered problems when it came to the budget allocation. ''Oo, 'yung pinakamalaking naging problema 'yung foreign-assisted projects, tinanggal halos lahat nung funding. Kailangan natin ibalik 'yun dahil importante 'yung mga foreign-assisted projects. At saka sinisira pati 'yan ang reputation natin,'' Marcos said. (Yes, that's the biggest problem, the funding for foreign-assisted projects was removed. We need to return that because foreign-assisted projects are important. Also, they are destroying our reputation.) ''And the worst part of this all, 'yung napupunta kung minsan 'yung mga project na hindi maganda, napupunta sa unappropriated. Ano 'yun, utang 'yun. Nangungutang tayo para mangurakot itong mga ito,'' he added. (And the worst part of this all, the fund will be allotted for projects that are not good, or those which are unappropriated. That's considered debt. We seem to be borrowing funds so that they can misuse them.) The DBM defines unprogrammed appropriations as those that provide standby authority to incur additional agency obligations for priority programs or projects when revenue collection exceeds targets, and when additional grants or foreign funds are generated, while appropriations with definite/identified funding as of the time the budget is prepared. Marcos was asked if he is prepared for a reenacted budget even if this will not be ''responsive'' to the plans of his administration. ''Well, yes. I am willing to reenact the budget if that's what we'll have to do,'' Marcos said. ''Since I made it already – I made New Year's Day the hard deadline, I'm sure we will find a way. I'm sure we will find a way,'' he added. In his SONA, Marcos said, 'For the 2026 national budget, I will return any proposed Generation Appropriations bill that is not fully aligned with the National Expenditure Program.' The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) defines a reenacted budget as a situation where the previous year's General Appropriations Act (GAA) is extended and remains in effect for a preceding year until such time the Congress passes a budget bill into law. Marcos already approved the P6.793-trillion National Expenditure Program for Fiscal Year 2026. The NEP will then be submitted by the President to the Congress within 30 days after the opening of the regular session. –NB, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
5 days ago
- Politics
- GMA Network
House appropriations committee forms budget amendments subpanel
The budget amendments review subcommittee "will be tasked with facilitating and deliberating on proposed amendments submitted by agencies and our colleagues in the House,' said House Appropriations Chair Rep. Mika Suansing in a press conference on Monday, Aug. 4, 2025. The House Committee on Appropriations on Monday said it has established a subcommittee to review budget amendments, with the stated aim of ensuring transparency and that amendments will be appropriately addressed. In a press conference, House appropriations panel chairperson and Nueva Ecija Rep. Mikaela Suansing said that the House subcommittee on Budget Amendments Review will replace the small committee—the tight-knit unit that used to collate proposed amendments of lawmakers after the House approved the proposed national budget on third and final reading. In contrast with the small committee, the budget amendments review subcommittee will be run in parallel with the Appropriations committee's discussions on the proposed national budget. "The first reform is that we will abolish the practice of forming a small committee to deliberate on institutional amendments. There are many departments, many agencies who advocate for changes to the budget. But at the same time, we have to navigate through 317 congressmen, each representing their particular districts. How do we address that?" Suansing said. The budget amendments review subcommittee "will be tasked with facilitating and deliberating on proposed amendments submitted by agencies and our colleagues in the House,' she added. 'Ngayon po, iba na. Sa simula pa ng po ng budget process, pagkatanggap namin ng NEP [National Expenditure Program] o di kaya pag nagsimula tayo sa mother committee [Appropriations] hearings, tumatakbo po 'yung subcommittee on budget amendments review. Tuloy-tuloy 'yung mga deliberasyon, at yung mga deliberasyon po, bukas sa publiko... nakikita ng ating mga kababayan ano 'yung mga pinapanukala na mga amendments, ano 'yung deliberasyon at higit sa lahat ano 'yung mga aaprobahan at ipapasok sa ating panukalang budget,' Suansing added. (It is different now. Right at the start of the budget process, upon receiving the proposed budget, the subcommittee will also start its deliberations and these deliberations will be publicly accessible. The public will be aware of the proposed amendments, what happened during deliberations, and most importantly, what are the approved amendments in the budget.) Suansing said that the budget amendments review subcommittee will vote on which amendments to accept, subject to the approval of its mother committee, Appropriations. 'Wala na pong tagong komite. Lahat ng deliberasyon ay isasapubliko na po natin. Tatanggalin na natin lahat ng kurtina para maalis na ang mga pangamba ng ating mga kababayan. From now on, the people will witness the process in real time because this is their budget,' she said. (There is no more secret committee. All deliberations will be publicly available. We will open all curtains so the public can be assured that public funds are well spent.) In addition, Suansing said that the creation of the House subcommittee on Budget Amendments Review which proceedings will be publicly accessible is in accordance with Speaker Martin Romualdez's call for opening the proposed budget deliberations to the public. 'This isn't about optics, it's about outcomes. These changes aren't just procedural. They are political, moral, and constitutional commitments to restore the Filipino people's faith in how public funds are handled,' she said. — BM, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
5 days ago
- Business
- GMA Network
OVP 2026 budget ‘feasible' sans confidential funds — Win Gatchalian
The proposed budget of the Office of the Vice President for fiscal year 2026 is 'feasible' as long as it has no confidential funds, Senate finance committee chairman Sherwin Gatchalian said Monday. At a press conference, Gatchalian said that he will be 'very strict' when it comes to the proposed confidential and intelligence funds under the 2026 national budget, stressing that it 'will no longer be free for all' and will only be limited to enforcement and intelligence agencies. 'From what I have seen, 'yung pinaka-contentious do'n ang confidential funds di ba? And for the 2025 budget wala na 'yun. In fact, bare bones na ang OVP budget, 'yung mga talagang kailangan nila sa kanilang operations and some projects ni Vice President,' the senator said. (From what I have seen, the confidential funds are the most contentious, right? And for the 2025 budget, the OVP no longer has that. In fact, the OVP budget is bare bones, and they only have a budget for their operations and some projects of the Vice President.) 'So, as long as wala na ang contentious items doon, which is the confidential funds, feasible naman ang budget ngayon ng OVP,' he added. (So, as long as the contentious items are gone, which is the confidential funds, the OVP budget is now feasible.) The proposed 2026 budget of the OVP, under the leadership of Vice President Sara Duterte, has increased by P170 million from the current fiscal year—-from P733 million to P903 million, according to spokesperson Ruth Castelo. Castelo also confirmed that the OVP will not be requesting any confidential funds for next year. 'No confidential funds. Hindi naman na tayo nag-request niyan [we didn't request]… If they want to give, they want to give,' she explained. Last year, the House decided to reduce the budget of the OVP from the originally proposed P2 billion to P733 million amid Duterte's refusal to answer lawmakers' questions on OVP budget use, including confidential funds. The Senate retained the House-introduced budget cut despite calls from Duterte's allies to restore some of the OVP's proposed funding for social services. 'Golden age of transparency' Further, Gatchalian said that amid the public clamor for transparency and accountability, he will push to make more budget documents—-from the National Expenditure Program until it becomes the General Appropriations Act—-available online for the public to easily access it. 'Kung ikaw ay publiko at gusto mo i-analyze ang budget, makikita mo lang ang step 1 at 'yung last step. Pero hindi ko makikita 'yung i-step by i-step…dahil kulang kulang 'yung paga-upload ng documents,' he said. (If you want to analyze the budget, you can only see step 1 and the last step. But you can't see it step by step because not all documents are being uploaded.) 'So, ire-require namin ngayon ang DBM to go one step further. Meron silang tinatawag na budget preparation form 201. Lahat ng mga requests ng mga ahensya binibigay sa DBM. Ire-request namin ngayon na i-upload rin sa website para malaman ng taumbayan kung ano ba ang nire-request ng mga agencies,' he added. (So, we will now require DBM to go one step further. They have a budget preparation form 201 which contains the budget requests of all agencies. We will now request for it to be uploaded to the website so that the people will know how much the agencies are requesting us.) Transparency and accountability. Isinusulong natin na i-upload online ang lahat ng dokumento pagdating sa 2026 national budget. — Win Gatchalian (@WinGatchalian74) August 4, 2025 The chairman of the Senate committee on finance also said that they will request the House of Representatives to upload their version of the General Appropriations Bill (GAB) on their website and send a digital format to the Senate. He said the Senate will also do the same for its own version of the bill. The reconciled version by both chambers will likewise be uploaded online so that the public can scrutinize the changes in the budget before it gets delivered to Malacañang for the President's signature. —AOL, GMA Integrated News
