THE Senate Committee on Finance Subcommittee A on Thursday endorsed the Department of Budget and Management’s (DBM) proposed P2.9 billion budget for 2027 to the plenary.
The panel, chaired by Sen. Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito, approved on Oct. 22 the spending plan covering the DBM’s core operations, attached agencies, lump-sum funds, budgetary support to government-owned and controlled corporations (GOCCs), and allocations to local government units (LGUs).
The proposed allocation is a steep drop from previous funding levels. DBM Acting Secretary Kim Robert de Leon revealed to lawmakers that the agency’s net budget under the National Expenditure Program (NEP) was downsized from P5.486 billion to P2.9 billion. When looking strictly at the department’s standalone operations, the figure stands at P3.125 billion, which is 12.45 percent (or P444.23 million) lower than its 2026 budget.
De Leon said that the substantial slash was a deliberate, strategic choice by the executive department to enforce strict fiscal discipline across the bureaucracy.
Despite the fiscal tightening, de Leon reassured the Senate panel the reduction would not paralyze the department’s fiscal oversight.
The swift endorsement of the DBM budget coincides with a heightened sense of vigilance within the upper chamber. Following recent high-profile Supreme Court decisions concerning past national budget realignments, Senate leaders vowed to guard the P7.2-trillion 2027 budget against irregular modifications.
Subcommittee chair Sen. JV Ejercito reaffirmed his commitment to pass an equitable budget that responds strictly to the needs of the public without wasteful leakages. “The Senate will draw lessons from the Supreme Court’s rulings and thoroughly study its implications for the preparation and approval of next year’s budget,” Ejercito said.
He said the Senate is prepared to review all allocations — even mulling a P1.2-billion to P2-billion reduction to the Senate’s own 2027 budget to restore full public trust in the legislative process.
The DBM said it will lean heavily on technology to sustain its sweeping oversight functions:
– Project DIME (Digital Information for Monitoring and Evaluation), which uses satellite, sonar, and digital technology to track and audit government infrastructure projects in real-time.
– The Budget and Treasury Management System (BTMS), aimed at centralizing real-time tracking of all government transactions across departments.
