MANILA — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. vetoed nearly ₱92.5 billion worth of unprogrammed appropriations (UA) from the ₱6.79-trillion national budget for 2026, signaling a tougher stance against discretionary spending and tightening fiscal safeguards as he signed the measure into law on Monday.
Marcos said he went beyond Congress’ initial trimming of standby funds to further pare them down, stressing the need to prevent their misuse.
“We acknowledge the support of Congress in limiting the unprogrammed appropriations to essential needs. However, I pushed further and reduced it to the absolute bare minimum. This shall be at the lowest since 2019,” the President said.
Unprogrammed appropriations are contingency funds that can only be released if government revenues exceed targets or if additional grants and foreign financing materialize. Marcos emphasized that access to these funds would be strictly regulated.
“We’ll not allow the UA to be used and be mistreated as a backdoor for discretionary spending… It will only be released after careful validation. We will make releases charged from the UA transparent,” he said.
“The unprogrammed appropriations are not blank checks… Its utilization is provided with safeguards and is only available when clearly defined triggered and tests are met, and will be released only after careful validation… My administration will enforce these safeguards without exception to serve public interest and advance our national development goals,” Marcos added.
The President said the 2026 budget supports the administration’s long-term poverty-reduction agenda and reaffirmed a stricter policy on the release of government aid, reiterating a ban on political participation in distributing cash and financial assistance.
“Politicians shall be barred from the distribution of any financial aid and we shall ensure that the support reaches the intended beneficiaries without patronage. Walang bawas, walang kulang,” he said.
Earlier, the Department of Budget and Management confirmed that several UA items were removed following the President’s veto, describing the move as part of a broader push for fiscal discipline and accountability.
“Several items under Unprogrammed Appropriations have been scrapped from the 2026 national budget as a result of the President’s decision to exercise veto powers,” the DBM said.
Under the approved spending plan, education again received the largest allocation at ₱1.345 trillion, funding the creation of tens of thousands of teaching and non-teaching positions and the construction of nearly 25,000 classrooms nationwide. Health spending rose to a record ₱448.125 billion, while agriculture was allotted ₱297.102 billion to bolster food security. Additional funds were earmarked for social services, disaster rehabilitation, and increased transfers to local government units.
The Office of the President received the final General Appropriations Bill on December 29, 2025, following prolonged bicameral deliberations./PN
