MANILA, Philippines — The House of Representatives on Monday approved on third and final reading House Bill No. 10858, which seeks to authorize the proposed ₱7.2-trillion national budget for fiscal year 2027.
The measure, which contains the House version of the General Appropriations Bill (GAB), secured 281 votes in favor, 13 against, and one abstention.
Despite its approval, several lawmakers raised concerns over budgetary adjustments, particularly the alleged lack of transparency surrounding proposed increases introduced by the Budget Amendments Review Subcommittee (BARSc).
Among them is ML Party-list Rep. Leila de Lima who called out the “fiscally irresponsible choices” included in the spending plan such as the P130 billion cut from the foreign-assisted projects (FAPs) of the Department of Transportation, Department of Public Works and Highways, and other agencies.
She likewise blasted the decreased allocation for health promotion, immunization and family planning commodities, building of classrooms amid the 166,000-classroom backlog, consular services for overseas Filipino workers, and El Niño mitigation efforts.
“How will these be implemented when their line items are gone? Our loan commitments remain. Just a reminder: it has reached P1 billion commitment fees due to delays, because this chamber keeps defunding FAPs and parking them in the UA (unprogrammed appropriation),” De Lima said.
“The national budget is a moral document—our social contract with every Filipino taxpayer. This budget must uphold the dignity and future of the Filipino people and our nation. Instead, this budget tells our children, the sick, our OFWs, commuters, and the marginalized to suffer, while telling those politically useful to come and collect,” she added in English and Filipino.
Akbayan Party-list likewise voted no, calling the 2027 inhumane as it does not help address pressing concerns on inflation, high prices of commodities, and unemployment, among others.
Following its approval in the House, the proposed spending measure will now be transmitted to the Senate for deliberation.
Members of both chambers are expected to form a bicameral conference committee to reconcile differences between their respective versions of the budget.
The consolidated measure will then be submitted to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. for approval and signing into law.
