The House of Representatives on Monday approved on third and final reading the proposed ₱7.2-trillion national budget for 2027.
House Bill No. 10858, or the proposed General Appropriations Bill (GAB) for fiscal year 2027, was approved with 282 lawmakers voting in favor, 13 against and one abstaining.
The proposed budget includes approximately ₱116 billion in amendments aimed at strengthening essential public services and addressing the most pressing needs of Filipinos.
House Committee on Appropriations Chairperson Mikaela Angela B. Suansing said the amendments reflected the chamber’s effort to protect key spending priorities, particularly education and healthcare, while responding to pressing public needs.
“Despite the realignments, the BARSc made sure to safeguard the total budget for education — ensuring that it remains the top spending priority,” Suansing said.
She added that increased funding for the health sector aims to expand access to essential healthcare services and ease the financial burden of medical expenses on Filipino families.
The House version of the spending bill also provides additional funding for the agricultural sector to help farmers and other stakeholders prepare for the anticipated effects of the El Niño phenomenon.
House Speaker Bojie Dy said the chamber had maintained transparency in the budget process and continued reforms introduced last year, including the Budget Accountability and Reform for Socioeconomic Development (BARSc).
“Tiniyak natin na ito’y may transparency at itinuloy din natin ang mga repormang sinimulan natin noong nakaraang taon katulad ng BARSc,” Dy said.
“Ngayon, natapos na po ang mahabang proseso ng pagtalakay at pagpasa sa budget sa House. Ngunit hindi rito nagtatapos ang ating trabaho,” Dy said.
He stressed that public accountability must continue beyond the passage of the spending bill, noting that Filipinos have the right to know how public funds will be spent, why allocations are necessary and what results they should expect.
However, members of the Makabayan bloc voted against the measure, alleging that the amendments included billions of pesos in pork barrel allocations.
Lawmakers who voted against the proposed ₱7.2-trillion 2027 budget
Kabataan Party-list Rep. Renee Co said the bloc opposed the bill because, in its view, the proposed budget failed to prioritize the interests of ordinary Filipinos.
“Mariing nirerehistro ng representasyong ito ang botong No sa House Bill 10858 o General Appropriations Bill for fiscal year 2027. Sa mga nagdaang buwan ng deliberasyon, naging malinaw sa publiko na wala sa prayoridad ng gobyerno ang paglalaan ng budget na maglilingkod sa interes ng mamamayan,” Kabataan Party-list Rep. Renee Co said.
“Year and year out, the national budget is overflowing with pork. Sa taong ito mismo…May priniritong baboy o hard pork P361.19 billion pesos para sa maanomalyang flood control projects, farm-to-pocket roads at iba pang proyektong pang-imprastraktura,” she stressed.
Deputy Minority Leader and ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. Antonio Tinio also voted against the measure, citing concerns over the ₱116.32 billion in institutional amendments.
Tinio had criticized the appropriations committee for allegedly failing to provide lawmakers with a comprehensive list of the amendments, raising questions about transparency in the allocation process.
Kamanggagawa Party-list Rep. Eli San Fernando likewise registered a negative vote, criticizing the conduct of the BARSc hearings, which he described as scripted.
San Fernando argued that transparency in the budget process should go beyond livestreaming proceedings on social media, alleging that key decisions had already been settled during executive sessions before the public hearings.
“Ang pambansang budget ay hindi lang basta dokumento o listahan ng mga programa o proyekto. Sinasagot nito ang tanong na ano ba ang prayoridad ng gobyerno… Ang transparency ay hindi lang naman tungkol sa pag-live sa YouTube at Facebook. Alam naman ng lahat na bago pa mag-livestream ang BARSc, nagkaroon na ng executive session. Sa likod ng camera, naplantsa na ang gusot, naluto na ang putahe, nahilot na ang pakisuyo at pakiusap, naiayos na ang script, sino ang magsasabi at ano ang sasabihin. At nang okay na, lights, camera, action. Perfect, praktisadong-praktisado, walang actual na deliberation,” San Fernando stressed.
“Sa ngalan po ng mga manggagawa at ordinaryong Pilipino, mariin naming inirerehistro ang boto namin ay no,” he added.
With House approval secured, the proposed 2027 national budget will proceed to the next stages of the legislative process before it can be enacted into law.
