'Paano na ang Mindanao?': Rodriguez rues 'Manila-centric' 2026 budget

Manila Bulletin

A ranking congressman from Mindanao has decribed the P6.793-trillion National Expenditure Program (NEP) for 2026 as overly catered to the needs of Metro Manila.  During the House Committee on Appropriations' briefing with the Development Budget Coordination Committee (DBCC) Monday, Aug. 18, Cagayan de Oro 2nd district Rep. Rufus Rodriguez questioned the "Manila-centric” government spending plan, as he pointed to the disproportionate shares given to Mindanao and Visayas compared to Luzon.  READ: https://mb.com.ph/2025/08/19/paano-na-ang-mindanao-rodriguez-rues-manila-centric-2026-budget  Join this channel to get access to perks: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5664f6TkaeHgwBly50DWZQ/join  Subscribe to the Manila Bulletin Online channel! - https://www.youtube.com/TheManilaBulletin   Visit our website at http://mb.com.ph Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/manilabulletin Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/manila_bulletin Instagram: https://instagram.com/manilabulletin Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@manilabulletin  #ManilaBulletinOnline #ManilaBulletin #LatestNews

Transcript

00:00And my question is directed to Secretary Pangandaman.

00:07In your presentation, the budget for Mindanao and the Visayas,

00:14and I'd like to read from your report,

00:17that Mindanao, comprising six regions,

00:21will only receive the MISLI amount percentage of 15.4.

00:2815.4.

00:30I have here the Congressional Policy and Budget Research Department,

00:33which shows that in the past,

00:36Mindanao was at least getting, in 2022, 16.6%.

00:42Before that, during the 14th or 15th Congress, we reached 17.

00:47Now we're down again to only a share of a percent of 15.4.

00:58Mindanao has a population of 26 million Mindanaonans,

01:04and that is exactly 22.3% of the December figure of the Philippine population of 116 million.

01:14And secondly, Mindanao contributes to our GDP at the tune of about 18 to 19%.

01:21So maybe we know why Mindanao is getting smaller in terms of the budget.

01:27So this is what we have now.

01:29Maybe we ask Secretary Pangandaman, who hails from Mindanao?

01:32Madam Chair, first, I would like to maybe note that in prior years,

01:44we don't have the Bangsamoro Organic Law.

01:48So some of the projects, po, that should be given to the five provinces, six provinces, po,

01:57is not included in the total national budget

02:02because we have provided a sum of money to the Bangsamoro region

02:10as provided for under the Bangsamoro Organic Law.

02:13Madam Chair, I'd like to correct the Secretary.

02:17In 2022, here are the figures.

02:20In 2022, BARM already received $2.7 billion, and we are $16.6 billion.

02:27In other words, this particular budget, even the previous years,

02:32already not BARM but the autonomous region for Muslim Mindanao.

02:36So, but the point is that, Madam Chair, this is a decreasing trend.

02:42And I'd like to read the report of our Secretary of our Department of Economy, Planning, and Development.

02:51It says here, their main finding is that economic growth remains mega Manila-centric,

03:00highlighting the need for greater, recommendation of Secretary Belisacan,

03:05for greater spatial diversification of our growth engines to enhance regional inclusion.

03:12But we are excluded.

03:14Another statement of the report of our good Secretary of the Economy is this.

03:20It says here, we should, for the future, we should maintain robust macroeconomic fundamentals

03:27and diversify growth diversity.

03:30And in this subsection of his report, it says,

03:33strengthen resilience by diversifying sectoral growth drivers

03:39and supporting regional growth engines.

03:42What happens to this recommendation of the Secretary?

03:45Because really, 15.4% and why?

03:49Here it is.

03:51The reason why we only have 15% and our poorer friends from the Visayas is only receiving 11.1%.

04:00Can you imagine that?

04:01The Visayas gets only 11.1%.

04:04We get 15.4%.

04:06And the reason for that is here in the report of the Arab Secretary.

04:10Because nationwide is 25%.

04:14That's all right.

04:15But then central office gets 10%, 10.2%.

04:19Why will the central office, you know, reserve 10%?

04:25This will be the pork barrel of the cabinet members.

04:31It should be pushed already to the regions and improve the regions,

04:35especially Mintanao and the Visayas.

04:37We are not going against Luzon.

04:39Luzon, Madam Chair, gets 24%.

04:42Mindanao gets 15%.

04:44Luzon, excluding NCR, NCR gets 13.3%.

04:47We will not complain about that.

04:49But we will ask that we improve the figures and the personalities of Mindanao

04:53by having the central office give that to the regions where the projects are needed.

05:09We will also ask that they move the rule to ensure that we are able to group the representatives of Mindanao is 3.5%,

05:12which means that the government could be Edom, noodsons, 6.9% of Private

05:12to Adam.

05:14It's all right.

05:14But it doesn't actually evolve into the timeless everything is that we have to address

05:16in order, otherwise the players will build the rules.

05:18Okay?

05:18We will think about those two times.

05:19Maybe it's time outside.

05:19I think there will be something interesting.

05:20It is about 22% of the language spend that range for this drive to car.

05:21We will think after these in the rooms there are 10.

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