Secretary Amenah F. Pangandaman said the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) is working to create a “menu” for off-the-shelf infrastructure projects so that legislators can include the budget.
“We will provide lawmakers with a menu. If they want to increase their budget, or if they see something from our list of projects, such as flood control, farm-to-market roads, school building plans, they can choose from that menu,” she said on Wednesday’s radio show.
She said the menu system ensures that projects are studied or validated in advance.
Ms Pangandaman said a more coordinated, efficient and data-driven approach was adopted when selecting priority projects.
The Development Budget Coordination Committee proposes to develop a P679.3 billion mile spending plan for 2026. That’s 7.4% higher than this year’s budget, which is equivalent to 22% of GDP.
Ferdinand R. Marcos, Tip
This could lead to a re-established budget, under which the government is forced to operate under the previous year’s budget. The last major budget crisis was under the leadership of Rodrigo R. Duterte in 2019, during which time the New Year budget was not signed for four months.
The House of Representatives expects to receive the proposed national budget for 2026 by next week. A budget hearing is scheduled to begin in September. – Luisa Maria Jacinta C. Jocson
