A coalition of civil society organizations has identified
P735.56 billion in President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s proposed 2027 national
budget as vulnerable to political intervention, discretionary spending and
potential budget insertions, putting greater scrutiny on the spending plan
ahead of the 2028 elections.
The People’s Budget Coalition (PBC) classified the flagged
amount into three categories: P140.07 billion in soft pork, P483.51 billion in
hard pork and P111.98 billion in what it calls shadow pork.
The coalition’s assessment does not mean the programs
themselves are inherently improper. Rather, it points to areas where weak
safeguards, discretionary allocation and insufficient transparency could create
opportunities for political influence.
Infrastructure accounts for the largest risk
Infrastructure represents the largest portion of the
coalition’s concerns, with P483.51 billion categorized as hard pork.
The Department of Public Works and Highways is seeking
nearly P650 billion for 2027, including funding for asset preservation and
flood management. Other major infrastructure allocations include P16 billion
for farm-to-market roads, P46.36 billion for the National Irrigation
Administration and P14.54 billion for the Department of Health’s Health
Facilities Enhancement Program.
The PBC argues that the scale of infrastructure spending
makes rigorous project selection and monitoring essential. It has particularly
raised concerns about flood-control projects, citing previous instances where
projects were allegedly directed toward legislative districts based on
political relationships rather than documented risks and established
development plans.
The coalition is calling for stronger project-level
documentation, including geotagging, so citizens can determine where projects
are located and monitor whether they are actually implemented.
Social assistance remains a major election concern
Another P140.07 billion has been identified as soft pork,
covering social assistance and other programs that the coalition considers
susceptible to political manipulation.
Public finance analyst Zy-Za Suzara noted that several
assistance programs received substantially smaller allocations than in 2026.
Despite those reductions, she argued that the continued size of these programs
warrants close scrutiny because of their potential political visibility.
The proposed allocation for the Department of Social Welfare
and Development’s Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation is P33.28
billion, approximately 48 percent below its P63.9-billion allocation under the
2026 General Appropriations Act.
The Department of Labor and Employment’s Tulong
Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers program is proposed at
P14.25 billion, down 36.5 percent from P22.44 billion.
The Department of Health’s Medical Assistance to Indigent
and Financially Incapacitated Patients program is slated for P24.24 billion, a
53 percent decline from P51.65 billion in 2026.
Meanwhile, the Commission on Higher Education’s Tulong
Dunong program and the Presidential Assistance to Farmers and Fisherfolk
program received no funding in the proposed 2027 budget, despite receiving
P2.73 billion and P10 billion, respectively, in 2026.
The PBC maintains that assistance should be distributed
according to transparent rules, verified needs and reliable data rather than
becoming a mechanism for political patronage.
LGSF draws renewed scrutiny
The Local Government Support Fund is another area attracting
attention.
The proposed P58.53 billion allocation is part of the
P109.13 billion earmarked for local government units in 2027. The LGSF is
designed to finance priority development initiatives and urgent local
requirements across provinces, cities, municipalities and barangays.
Senate President and finance committee chair Sherwin
Gatchalian has questioned the fund’s rapid expansion. He noted that the LGSF
historically ranged between roughly P10 billion and P15 billion before
increasing dramatically in recent years.
Department of Budget and Management acting Secretary Kim
Robert de Leon said the larger allocation is intended primarily for nationwide
rice distribution and infrastructure projects designed to support local
economic activity.
Gatchalian, however, has sought concrete evidence
demonstrating that the expanded fund is producing measurable improvements in
poverty reduction and countryside development.
The issue illustrates why lump-sum appropriations require
particular attention. A broad allocation can provide government with
flexibility, but without sufficiently detailed criteria and public reporting,
it becomes harder to determine how money is ultimately distributed.
Unprogrammed funds raise transparency questions
The PBC also identified P111.98 billion in unprogrammed
appropriations as shadow pork.
These funds are generally designed as standby appropriations
that may only be released when specific conditions are met. Among the largest
proposed amounts are P57 billion for restoring the funds of the Philippine
Deposit Insurance Corp. and P42.55 billion for foreign-assisted projects.
The coalition considers the growing scale of unprogrammed
appropriations a recurring concern, particularly since 2022. It argues that
expanding this category can weaken the clarity of the national spending plan
and create additional opportunities for questionable insertions.
Confidential and intelligence funds face tighter scrutiny
Confidential and intelligence allocations have also come
under heightened examination.
The DBM said it rejected requests from civilian agencies
that lacked legitimate surveillance or intelligence mandates. For 2027, the
proposed allocation totals P10.7 billion, consisting of P4.3 billion for
confidential funds and P6.4 billion for intelligence funds.
During a Senate Development Budget Coordination Committee
hearing, Gatchalian sought confirmation that the proposed allocations had
undergone strict executive review.
De Leon said the DBM had filtered out requests from offices
that did not meet the requirements, limiting such funding to agencies with
legitimate law enforcement and intelligence functions.
The issue has gained additional significance amid an ongoing
impeachment trial that has brought renewed attention to the potential misuse of
confidential funds.
Lacson questions whether the budget is truly
execution-ready
Sen. Panfilo Lacson separately challenged the
characterization of the proposed P7.2-trillion national budget as
execution-ready.
His concern centered on lump-sum appropriations within the
DPWH budget for evacuation centers. Lacson identified P180 million for each of
the country’s 18 regions, resulting in a combined P3.24 billion allocation.
He questioned how such funding could be considered fully
execution-ready when the proposal did not specify the precise locations of the
planned facilities.
De Leon responded that agencies would still be required to
provide the necessary details to the DBM, while the Office of Civil Defense had
yet to complete its list of proposed evacuation centers.
Lacson also urged the government to address persistently
underperforming government-owned and controlled corporations, suggesting that
agencies and state firms that consistently fail to deliver should either be
abolished or lose their funding.
Finance Secretary Frederick Go said the Governance
Commission for GOCCs is currently assessing 21 government corporations for
possible closure, winding down or absorption by other state-owned entities.
Budget scrutiny expected to intensify
The PBC said the P735.56 billion already identified
represents a starting point rather than a final assessment of political risk.
The coalition expects the amount could increase during
congressional deliberations, citing previous budget cycles in which flagged
allocations expanded before the final General Appropriations Act was enacted.
It is therefore urging lawmakers and budget officials to
make civil society participation more meaningful throughout the process, from
the National Expenditure Program through congressional review and final
enactment.
The coalition has also pointed to Gatchalian’s willingness
to consider civil society feedback and his push for stronger documentation of
infrastructure amendments as an example of how greater transparency can
strengthen budget oversight.
With the 2027 budget carrying substantial allocations for infrastructure, social assistance, local government support and standby appropriations, the central challenge is not simply how much the government intends to spend. It is whether every peso can be traced to a clearly defined need, supported by evidence and protected from political discretion.
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