THE Department of Budget and Management (DBM) said economic managers will meet on May 26 to set the budget ceiling for 2026 after government agencies submitted spending proposals of as much as P11 trillion.
In a statement on Tuesday, the DBM said the Development Budget Coordination Committee, chaired by Budget Secretary Amenah F. Pangandaman, will set the spending cap after considering revenue projections by the Department of Finance, Bureau of Internal Revenue, and Bureau of Customs.
Afterwards, economic managers will meet with the President to review key projects, especially those identified as administration priorities.
The DBM has said that government agencies’ budget proposals of about P11 trillion, far exceeding the record P6.325-trillion budget for 2025.
It said officials are still deliberating on which of the spending proposals will be designated Tier 2, which consists of new spending, to be funded only if there is available fiscal space. The Tier-1 category represents ongoing spending, which the government is already committed to fund.
In 2026, the overall National Expenditure Program is expected to hit a record P6.793 trillion, up 7.38%.
Ms. Pangandaman said President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. could join the bicameral deliberations to supervise the drafting of the 2026 national spending plan.
“If it is necessary for him to sit in the Bicam, our President will sit in the Bicam,” Ms. Pangandaman said in a statement on Tuesday.
It is unclear whether the Chief Executive is constitutionally authorized to participate in a Congressional proceeding, though it could reflect the government’s longstanding concerns about eventually getting a budget that is in line with its priorities.
“In fact, bago mag-eleksyon may mga bilin po siya. Uupuan po namin lagi ’yan hanggang sa dulo po (Even before the election the President has been advising us to oversee the budget process to the end),” she said. — Aubrey Rose A. Inosante