House approves P6.793T budget on 2nd reading retaining P249B unprogrammed funds

The House of Representatives passed the proposed P6.793-trillion budget for 2026 on second reading, retaining P249 billion in unprogrammed appropriations.

Akbayan Representative Jose Manuel "Chel" Diokno attempted to remove these funds, arguing they should be programmed if they are priorities, but his motion was rejected.

House appropriations chairperson Mikaela Angela B. Suansing clarified that the unprogrammed funds are necessary for foreign-assisted projects lacking final contracts or NEDA Board approval, and to fulfill international commitments.

These commitments include foreign-assisted projects from partners like the World Bank, ADB, KOICA, and JICA.

Some budget experts believe programmed funds might be transferred to unprogrammed appropriations to circumvent the constitutional ceiling on budget reallocation.

In addition to the budget passage, the House also reduced the Office of the Vice President's budget for 2026 from P902 million to P733 million.