The Marcos administration on Tuesday, August 12, formally opened the 2026 budget season with the presentation of its proposed ₱6.793-trillion National Expenditure Program (NEP) to President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., a spending plan set against the still-unfolding debates over the contentious 2025 national budget.
In a ceremony at Malacañang, Budget Secretary Amenah F. Pangandaman handed the 2026 NEP to the President, who in turn is scheduled to transmit it to Congress on Wednesday, August 13, marking the start of deliberations that will test both fiscal priorities and political alliances.
The proposed 2026 budget is 7.4 percent higher than this year’s enacted ₱6.326-trillion program—one that has drawn scrutiny over alleged fund misuse.
With the theme “Agenda for Prosperity: Nurturing Future-Ready Generations to Achieve the Full Potential of the Nation,” the DBM said the 2026 NEP builds on the administration’s past three years of programs and remains anchored on the Philippine Development Plan 2023–2028.
It prioritizes key areas: quality and accessible education, strengthened healthcare systems and services, expanded social protection, and food security.
“Last July, President Marcos approved the proposed national budget for fiscal year 2026, which reflects the administration’s commitment to enhancing the quality of education and improving the lives of every Filipino,” the DBM noted.
In his fourth State of the Nation Address, the President vowed: “I would not sign any General Appropriations Act that is not aligned with the administration’s priority programs and tolerates fund misuse.”
With the political undercurrents of the 2025 budget still fresh, the Palace’s submission of the 2026 NEP sets the stage for another round of heated budget battles in Congress.
