THE HOUSE has approved a P6.793-trillion budget for 2026. It’s being called the “best and cleanest” yet. We’re told to trust the system. But the numbers suggest otherwise.
At the center of the issue is the flood control scandal. In previous years, hundreds of millions were allocated to projects that don’t exist, lack permits, or were awarded to a few favored contractors. In Bulacan, ghost projects were linked to unprogrammed appropriations — a budget tool now used for political convenience.
Unprogrammed appropriations (UA) were meant for emergencies or surplus funds. They act like a second budget: vague, unlisted, and shielded from public review. In 2023 and 2024, over P214 billion in UA-funded projects were approved — many added at the last minute, away from public and legislative scrutiny.
The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has since cut P252 billion from its flood control budget, following a presidential order to remove ghost and duplicate projects. But this cleanup raised concerns. Some lawmakers say valid projects were defunded. Others point out we still don’t have a national flood control plan — a basic requirement for any serious infrastructure program.
Watchdog groups say budget consultations were rushed, poorly attended, and lacked real-time tracking. Citizens are invited to join, but rarely given real power to shape decisions. The process looks participatory, but critics describe it as mostly for show.
This isn’t just a technical problem. It’s a moral one. When budgets reward allies and punish critics, when funds are spent without receipts, and when fake projects thrive while real communities suffer, the damage goes beyond money. It weakens trust, erodes accountability, and teaches young Filipinos that politics is about favors — not service.
The impact is real. Students learn in underfunded schools. Farmers wait for irrigation that never comes. Families wade through floods that billions were supposed to prevent. Meanwhile, the debt grows — a burden today’s youth will carry long after the press releases fade.
Budgets are moral documents. They show what a government values — and what it’s willing to ignore. If we want to rebuild trust, we need more than promises of transparency. We need real accountability.
Because in a democracy, every peso should have a receipt. And every leader should have an answer. (totingbunye2000@gmail.com)/PN
