The 2026 national budget was called by the “sneakiest” and not the cleanest, after she said that no real spending items were vetoed by the President, but only unprogrammed appropriations (UA) that do not yet have funds.
According to Marcos, the allocations that were tainted with “pork” are still intact, and they have just been divided into different items. He emphasized that even though they have been divided, the pork barrel still remains in the budget.
He also questioned the doubling of funds for farm-to-market roads (FMR) and warned that it could lead to political patronage. He also pointed to the inflating aid and medical assistance which could be used as election influence, especially if channeled through politicians.
Meanwhile, ACT Philippines criticized the veto of the portion of the UA that was allegedly for the salaries of new teachers and staff, which will affect thousands of job order and contract workers. They stressed that education funding remains shortage despite a large allocation.
Some lawmakers, however, had a different view, saying that the President's move is a win for fiscal discipline and transparency, and that it should be a initial step for stricter accountability for every peso of the budget.
