Marcos gov’t seeks P7.2-trillion budget for 2027

2027 BUDGET. Department of Budget and Management Acting Secretary Kim Robert De Leon formally submitS the proposed 2027 National Expenditure Program to President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. in Malacañang on August 10, 2026. DBM/Released In his last full year as president, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is seeking a P7.2-trillion national budget for 2027, the year before the 2028 elections MANILA, Philippines – The Marcos administration is seeking a P7.2-trillion national budget for 2027, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s last full year in office and the year before the 2028 elections. Department of Budget and Management Acting Secretary Kim Robert de Leon formally submitted the proposed 2027 National Expenditure Program — 7.8% higher than the P6.679-trillion 2026 NEP — to Marcos in Malacañang on Monday, August 10. The proposed P7.2-trillion budget is equivalent to 21.7% of GDP. For 2027, the government projects P5.21 trillion in revenues against P6.90 trillion in spending, resulting in a projected P1.69-trillion deficit, or 5.1% of GDP. The 2027 NEP will be formally submitted to Congress on Tuesday, August 11. The Presidential Communications Office (PCO) said the proposed 2027 budget, “anchored on ‘People-Centered Growth for an Inclusive and Resilient Future,’ prioritizes investments in education, health, social protection, food security, infrastructure, digitalization, climate and disaster resilience, and good governance.” The bigger spending plan also comes as the government expects moderate economic growth amid “heightened domestic and external uncertainties,” including governance-related issues, geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, and other global developments affecting business and consumer confidence. The proposed 2027 budget proposal is backdropped by an ongoing flood control corruption probe that had exposed alleged collusion among executive officials, lawmakers, and contractors. The scandal also, in a way, paved the way for more transparency in ubdget deliberations. For the proposed 2026 budget, bicameral conference committee deliberations were livestreamed, giving the public a rare glimpse into negotiations previously conducted behind closed doors. The House also abolished the so-called “small committee,” a powerful group of lawmakers that traditionally handled individual amendments even after the proposed budget had passed second reading. – with reports from Lance Spencer Yu/Rappler.com How does this make you feel? Loading