Palace open to publicizing budget deliberations

Malacañang Palace on Tuesday expressed openness to a transparent budget deliberation amid calls to publicize the bicameral conference committee.

In a Palace briefing, Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Claire Castro said Malacañang supports any decision of Congress that involves transactions concerning the public.

“We respect the independence of the Congress but when it comes to publicizing transactions of the government, it is better to be transparent so that the public is informed,” she said.

Last week, House Speaker Martin Romualdez backed calls for open budget deliberations to ensure that the public would be privy to the crucial budget process. Budget negotiations are usually conducted behind closed doors.

For the 2026 national budget, the Department of Budget and Management is set to submit to Congress a budget proposal amounting to P6.793 trillion. It is 7.4 percent higher than the 2025 budget, which was P6.326 trillion.

Meanwhile, state insurer PhilHealth is also set to submit its budget proposal for 2026.

“The President always, as we say, does what is good for the people and for the country. So, now regarding the PhilHealth funds, this has just been submitted, so we will study it,” Castro said. “Let's remember: Again, the President wants to make the lives of every Filipino better, easier and provide good medical and health services,” she added.

To recall, in the 2025 budget, PhilHealth received zero subsidy, which President Marcos explained was due to the agency having P600 billion in reserve funds — “more than enough” to fund its existing service offerings for a year.

Marcos directed the state insurer to utilize its funds to provide medical assistance to patients in need.

When asked if the Palace had reviewed the 2026 PhilHealth budget proposal, Castro said she had not yet seen a copy.

Controversial budget

The 2025 General Appropriations Act became controversial due to allegations of insertions and blank entries.

Former Marikina Representative Stella Quimbo, senior vice chair of the House appropriations panel in the 19th Congress, admitted there were blank items in the bicam but insisted that funding for the same was already identified before members signed the report.

She maintained that the enrolled budget bill is “complete, with no blank allocations among its more than 235,000 line items,” making the 2025 GAA “lawful, valid, and fully enforceable.”

Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin also defended the budget bill, asserting that there were no blank items in the forwarded version that was signed by the President.