

Following the approval and signature of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on the 2026 national budget, Palace officials clarified on Monday the items vetoed from unprogrammed appropriations.
During a press briefing with the Malacañang Press Corps (MPC), Executive Secretary Ralph Recto announced that the President removed roughly ₱92.5 billion in unprogrammed funds.
“There are roughly 10 items in the unprogrammed fund that were vetoed,” Recto said. The vetoed items are as follows:
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Budgetary support to GOCCs – ₱6.895 billion
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Fiscal support to the Comprehensive Automotive Resurgence Strategy (CARS) program – ₱4.32 billion
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Insurance for government assets – ₱2 billion
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Prior years’ LGU shares – ₱14 million
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Revitalizing the Automotive Industry for Competitiveness Enhancement (RACE) program – ₱250 million
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GOP counterpart to foreign-assisted projects – ₱35.769 billion
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Payments of PS requirements to various agencies – ₱43.245 billion
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SAGIP Program – ₱80 billion
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Nampeidai property – ₱210 million
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Public health emergency benefits – ₱6.7 billion
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Marawi siege victims' compensation under the NEP (National Expenditure Program) – ₱2 billion
Recto noted that after these cuts, only three major items remain in the unprogrammed fund, totaling roughly ₱150 billion:
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Support to foreign-assisted projects – ₱97.305 billion
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Revised AFP modernization program – ₱50 billion
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Risk management program – ₱3.6 billion
Addressing concerns over excessive bonuses in government, Recto said the executive branch has no such payouts. He also highlighted that the budget for Congress was reduced from ₱50 billion in 2025 to ₱38.6 billion in 2026, a cut of roughly ₱12 billion.
DBM Acting Secretary Rolando Toledo provided further details on the Congressional allocation:
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Senate NEP – from ₱7.5 billion → ₱8.5 billion
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Senate Electoral Tribunal – from ₱329 million → ₱389 million
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Commission on Appointments – from ₱1.089 billion → ₱1.68 billion
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House of Representatives – from ₱17.2 billion → ₱27.7 billion
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Electoral Tribunal – ₱255 million (unchanged)
Palace officials reiterated that the 2026 National Budget reflects the administration’s commitment to responsible and transparent spending, balancing key government programs while removing excess allocations.
