The General Appropriations Bill (GAB) for 2025 has recently come under intense scrutiny, with critics claiming it is bloated with pork barrel allocations.

Among the voices calling for a thorough review is that of Senator Imee Marcos, sister of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who has urged her brother to reconsider the proposed expenditures. Her appeal, coming from within the President’s own family, lends weight to the growing clamor for transparency and fiscal prudence.

At its core, the issue of the pork barrel — or discretionary funds often allocated to legislators for local projects — has long been a contentious topic in the Philippines.

While proponents argue that such allocations allow lawmakers to address specific needs in their constituencies, critics contend that they foster corruption, patronage politics, and inefficiency. The public backlash to the pork barrel reached its peak in 2013 with the exposé of the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) scam, where billions of pesos were misused through fake non-government organizations.

Given this context, any hint of a pork barrel in the 2025 budget is bound to provoke public outrage.

Senator Imee Marcos’ call for a review reflects an acknowledgment of this historical baggage. She has pointed out that certain line items in the budget appear to be vaguely worded or excessively funded, raising suspicions about their true purpose.

For example, allocations labeled as “various infrastructure projects” or “capacity-building programs” often lack clear details, making them susceptible to misuse. By calling for a review, Senator Marcos not only positions herself as a fiscal watchdog but also distances herself from the potential fallout of an unpopular budget.

Analysts and civil society groups have echoed these concerns, emphasizing the need for a transparent and accountable budgeting process. According to economist and budget expert Benjamin Diokno, a well-crafted national budget should prioritize programs that have a measurable impact on economic growth and social welfare.

This means channeling funds toward education, healthcare, disaster resilience, and infrastructure — areas where the return on investment is both tangible and equitable. Any deviation from these priorities in favor of pork barrel-like allocations undermines the government’s credibility and the public’s trust.

Moreover, the timing of this controversy exacerbates its implications. The Philippines continues to grapple with challenges such as high inflation, a growing debt burden, and the need for post-disaster rehabilitation following recent typhoons.

Critics argue that every peso in the budget should be spent judiciously to address these pressing issues rather than being funneled into discretionary funds of dubious merit.

The specter of wasteful spending is particularly troubling in light of the country’s ballooning debt, which reached an unprecedented P15.69 trillion in mid-2024. With debt servicing already consuming a significant portion of government revenues, there is little room for fiscal missteps.

On the political front, the controversy over the 2025 budget poses a delicate challenge for President Marcos Jr. His administration’s credibility is at stake, particularly as he seeks to consolidate his leadership amid criticisms of underperformance.

The President must navigate between appeasing his allies in Congress, who may resist any reduction in their allocations, and responding to the public demand for accountability. Failing to address the issue could erode his political capital and embolden the opposition, which has been quick to seize on the pork barrel controversy as evidence of the administration’s misplaced priorities.

A review of the national budget could serve as an opportunity for the Marcos administration to demonstrate its commitment to good governance. By introducing reforms such as zero-based budgeting, where each expense must be justified anew rather than being carried over from previous budgets, the government can ensure that public funds are allocated based on merit and necessity.

Additionally, greater transparency can be achieved through open data initiatives that allow citizens to track how and where public money is spent.

As a whole, the criticisms of the 2025 national budget highlight the perennial challenges of ensuring transparency and accountability in public finance.

President Marcos Jr., in our book, faces a pivotal moment: he can either defend a flawed budget and risk alienating the public, or he can heed the calls for reform and set a precedent for responsible governance.

The choice he makes will undoubtedly shape his administration’s legacy and the country’s fiscal future.