MANILA — The House of Representatives on Friday concluded the period of sponsorship and debate on House Bill 10858, the proposed P7.2-trillion budget for 2027 after nine days of plenary deliberations.
The proposed budget of bodies such as the Department of Finance (DOF), the Judiciary, and the Office of the Ombudsman was tackled on the final day of deliberations.
In his Turno en Contra during the plenary session, House Minority Leader Representative Marcelino Libanan called the reduction of unprogrammed appropriations (UA) an "important reform" in the budget.
Libanan also stressed the need for transparency in programmed appropriations.
"We acknowledge one important reform in this budget. Unprogrammed appropriations have been reduced to approximately 112 billion or only 1.6 percent of the expenditure program… But transparency must also extend to programmed appropriations. Congress should know as far as practicable the project, location, beneficiary and purpose of the funds it appropriates," Libanan said.
"Kung ang Kongreso ang may power of the purse, dapat malinaw sa atin kung saan papunta ang pera sa oras na aprubahan natin ang budget. And accountability should continue after enactment," Libanan added.
Unprogrammed appropriations were at P150 billion in the 2026 General Appropriations Act (GAA).
House Committee on Appropriations Chairperson Representative Mikaela Suansing called the UA in the proposed 2027 budget the lowest in terms of unprogrammed appropriations-to-total expenditure program ratio.
The lawmaker added that the lower chamber will consider adding safeguards in the 2027 GAA, especially on standards regarding the use and evaluation of funds.