President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has approved the proposed ₱6.793 trillion national budget for fiscal year 2026. According to Malacañang, the proposed spending plan highlights the administration’s focus on education and improving the lives of Filipinos.
During a Cabinet meeting at the Palace, the President emphasized that the national budget must promote both economic growth and better quality of life for all citizens.
The Department of Budget and Management (DBM), led by Secretary Amenah Pangandaman, submitted the 2026 National Expenditure Program (NEP), which is 7.4% higher than the previous year’s budget and accounts for 22% of the country’s GDP.
The budget theme, “Agenda for Prosperity: Nurturing Future-Ready Generations to Achieve the Full Potential of the Nation,” centers on social services—especially education—and aligns with the President’s vision of a “Bagong Pilipinas.”
Of the proposed budget, the largest portion goes to Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses (MOOE) at ₱2.639 trillion, followed by Personnel Services at ₱1.908 trillion, and Capital Outlays at ₱1.296 trillion. Financial expenses are pegged at ₱950 billion.
National Government Agencies will receive ₱4.305 trillion (63.4%), Local Government Units ₱1.35 trillion, and Government-Owned or -Controlled Corporations ₱188.3 billion.
The DBM noted that it had to reduce agency requests amounting to over ₱10 trillion due to limited fiscal space and the government’s fiscal consolidation efforts.
The 2026 NEP will be submitted to Congress within 30 days of the start of the regular session.
