P7.2 trillion budget undergoes tough scrutiny, says DBM

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August 2, 2026 | 12:00am

MANILA, Philippines — The Marcos administration’s P7.2?trillion national budget for 2027 has undergone rigorous scrutiny, with officials insisting it is no “wish list” as the Department of Budget and Management prepares to submit the spending plan to Congress before Aug. 14.

Budget Secretary Kim Robert de Leon told reporters that the National Expenditures Plan (NEP) for 2027 would be transmitted to Congress before Aug. 14, in line with the 30-day constitutional deadline following the opening of the regular legislative session.

De Leon, however, refused to disclose further details.

“We will provide all details of the proposed 2027 budget once we officially submit it to Congress,” he said in a separate Viber message.

The spending plan for next year is six percent higher than the record P6.793-trillion budget this year and equivalent to 21.7 percent of the gross domestic product.

Speaking at a post-State of the Nation Address forum in Makati, De Leon said the national budget should never become “a collection of wish lists” and should contain only projects that can withstand rigorous scrutiny.

“As we crafted the fiscal year 2027 national budget, we subjected agency proposals to one of the most rigorous reviews in recent years,” he said.

Every agency proposal was carefully evaluated not only for completeness but also for implementation readiness, strategic relevance, measurable outcomes, fiscal sustainability and alignment with the Philippine Development Plan and the President’s priorities, he said.

De Leon also said that priority regional programs are required to secure the endorsement of the respective regional development councils before they’re included in the agency budget proposals.

Under the Philippine budget process, the NEP prepared by the DBM and submitted by the President, will be sent to the House of Representatives, which will draft its own version of the General Appropriations Bill (GAB).

A bicameral conference committee reconciles differences between the two chambers. The final report is ratified separately by the House and Senate before the enrolled GAB is sent to the President for final approval and signing into law.

President Marcos also has the power to veto in full or on a line-item basis.