Metro Manila, Philippines – Senate Finance Committee Chair Win Gatchalian said the proposed ₱6.793-trillion national budget for 2026 is “pork-free” and capable of withstanding legal and constitutional scrutiny, citing unprecedented transparency reforms in the budget process.
In an interview on The Newsmaker on Monday, Dec. 29, Gatchalian said lawmakers worked closely with the executive branch throughout deliberations to ensure that no major provisions would be vetoed once the measure is transmitted to Malacañang.
“I’m very confident that this budget can withstand legal and constitutional scrutiny,” Gatchalian said, adding that Congress consulted both its own legal teams and those of the executive during the reconciliation process.
The 2026 budget marks a first in Philippine legislative history after bicameral deliberations were opened to the public and livestreamed following public outrage over alleged corruption tied to closed-door budget negotiations. Gatchalian said the Senate and House also uploaded key documents at every stage of the process — from the National Expenditure Program to the final bicam report — allowing the public to track changes in real time.
“This year’s process was widely reformed,” he said. “People may disagree with certain items, but what’s important is that everything is transparent and open for public review.”
Critics, including members of the Makabayan bloc, have claimed the budget still contains hundreds of billions of pesos in what they describe as “pork” through unprogrammed appropriations and other allocations.
Gatchalian rejected the accusation, saying controversial lump-sum items had been removed and that remaining unprogrammed funds are now limited to specific, targeted purposes such as military modernization, benefits for government workers and industry support programs.
“There is no pork in the 2026 budget,” he said. “All allocations are geared toward helping Filipinos, not politicians.”
Gatchalian said the education sector received about ₱1.3 trillion — roughly 4.4 percent of gross domestic product — the highest allocation on record. Significant funding was also directed to health and agriculture, sectors he described as central to human development and economic growth.
He emphasized, however, that while Congress is confident in the legality of the budget, implementation will ultimately determine whether funds are used properly.
“Enacting the budget is one thing; implementing it is another,” Gatchalian said. “Implementation is now in the hands of the executive, and vigilance will still be needed to ensure it remains corruption-free.”
Malacañang has said the president is expected to sign the 2026 national budget in early January, following review of the enrolled bill.
