THE Senate Committee on Finance (Subcommittee A) approved the proposed P9.3-billion budget of the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity (Opapru) for 2027, endorsing it for immediate plenary consideration.
The panel greenlit the expenditure during a public hearing on Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2026, presided over by Subcommittee Chairman Sen. JV Ejercito.
The session focused on evaluating the national government's long-term "Peace Investment" roadmap.
Led by Presidential Peace Adviser Secretary Mel Senen Sarmiento, agency officials briefed the legislative panel on ongoing efforts to sustain peace agreements, noting the complex operational challenges of executing normalization, livelihood and community development frameworks in conflict-affected and conflict-vulnerable areas.
During the deliberations, lawmakers emphasized that physical security must be matched by structural growth.
Senator Ejercito stressed the absolute necessity of shoring up critical infrastructure, particularly across vulnerable sectors of Mindanao, noting that transforming local economies remains paramount despite the country's limited fiscal space.
Concurring with the socioeconomic focus, Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian highlighted education and localized learning assistance as vital tools for insulating far-flung communities from insurgent reintegration.
The panel's approval moves the P9.3-billion allocation to the Senate floor, where it will undergo final plenary debates before incorporation into the 2027 General Appropriations Act.
