00:00The 2026 National Budget Timeline has entered its second phase with the ceremonial turnover of the NEP to the legislature.
00:08As such, the NEP is set to morph into the General Appropriations Bill, which would undergo deliberations, revisions, and final determination by the BICAM,
00:17whose version of the bill the President would either approve or send back.
00:21As we hear more from Armella Las Moras.
00:23During today's ceremonial turnover of the 2026 National Expenditure Program from the Department of Budget and Management to the House of Representatives,
00:35both House Speaker Martin Romualdez and Budget Secretary Amina Pangandaman assured to closely monitor the budget deliberations
00:42to ensure the final number in the GAA truly addresses the needs of the Filipino people.
00:47For 2026, the proposed budget amounts to P6.793 trillion, which is 7.4% higher than last year's outlay.
00:57In accordance with the Constitution, the Department of Education continues to receive the highest allocation among government agencies,
01:04followed by the Department of Public Works and Highways, Department of Health, Department of National Defense,
01:10Department of the Interior and Local Government, Department of Agriculture, Department of Social Welfare and Development,
01:16Department of Transportation, Department of Transportation, the Judiciary, Department of Labor and Employment, and the Department of Migrant Workers.
01:23The net is more than just numbers on paper. It is the government's plan to make the vision of Bagong Pilipinas real.
01:31We will ensure the transparency, accountability are embodied in our agenda for prosperity.
01:38Dahil sa Bagong Pilipinas, mahalaga ang buhay ng bawat Pilipino.
01:43According to House Committee on Appropriations Chair, Micaela Swansing,
01:47they will immediately begin discussions on a proposed budget this coming Monday.
01:51Speaker Romualdus himself gave assurance that reforms will be implemented to make the deliberations more transparent and open to the public.
01:59First, we will remove the small committee that collated institutional amendments.
02:06Bukas ang talakayan, lat ng amendments, alam ng mamamayan.
02:12Second, we will open the bicameral conference committee on the budget to the public and to the media.
02:21One of the issues surrounding the budget is the alleged failure of some government flood control projects.
02:26Under the 2026 proposed budget, there is still an allocation for flood control,
02:31but lawmakers vowed to scrutinize each and every line item appropriation.
02:36The total is 274.926 to be exact.
02:42Yung 272.333, it's under the Department of Public Works.
02:49While the remaining 2.593 billion po is under the Metro Manila Development Authority.
02:57We will make sure that the flood control projects will be focused mostly on those areas,
03:04kasi yun na nga, yun na-identify as the most flood-prone.
03:08We will also coordinate with the respective RDCs and the respective regions,
03:13because there should be like an overall flood mitigation plan.
03:17Meanwhile, the DBM also assured appropriate funding for other key government programs,
03:22such as the Benting Bigas Mero na Program, Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program,
03:26and other essential initiatives.
03:28For his part, House Majority Leader Sandro Marcos has also assured to personally monitor the budget process
03:35in line with the directive of President Ferdinand R. Marquez Jr.
03:38I will not allow a budget on the floor to pass that is a mutation of the NEP
03:44or that has become too far off from the NEP.
03:47As Majority Leader, I won't allow it to happen.
03:49Mela Les Moras from the National TV Network for a New and Better Philippines.
