The debate on the 2026 national budget has exposed a recurring dilemma: the Philippines continues to allocate less for education, health, and social protection than what international organizations recommend, while pouring billions into infrastructure projects like flood control.

House Deputy Minority Leader Chel Diokno of Akbayan party-list flagged the disparity during budget deliberations. He pointed out that the proposed spending for 2026 sets aside about 3.5 percent of GDP for education against the 4 to 6 percent benchmark suggested by UNESCO, only 2.2 percent for social protection against the 5.1 percent recommended by the International Labor Organization, and 1 percent for health compared to the 5 percent standard of the World Health Organization.

“Bakit po paulit-ulit na parang ang pamumuhunan ng gobyerno natin para sa tao ay kulang?” Diokno said, adding “Kulang tayo sa edukasyon, kulang tayo sa kalusugan, kulang tayo sa social protection kumpara sa pamantayan ng ibang mga bansa.”

Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman acknowledged the limitations but explained that allocations cannot exceed the country’s overall fiscal space. She also admitted that the Department of Budget and Management lacks the manpower to inspect projects submitted by the Department of Public Works and Highways, clarifying that project validation is not part of their mandate.

The tension between resource limits and rising social needs is not unique to the Philippines. The International Monetary Fund, in its Guidelines for Public Expenditure Management, stresses that sound budget systems should be comprehensive, transparent, realistic, and policy-oriented. The framework emphasizes accountability in budget execution and discourages across-the-board cuts that treat all ministries equally but fail to consider priorities or long-term impacts.

The IMF notes that such “fair-sounding” reductions often harm service delivery and encourage temporary fixes that delay essential payments. Instead, it recommends adjustments based on economic categories, or targeted reductions in agencies with poor expenditure control, to protect critical investments in human development.

For Diokno, the numbers reflect a deeper problem. While the flood control budget alone is pegged at P274 billion, allocations for classrooms, hospitals, and safety nets remain far below global benchmarks. The concern highlights not only questions of sufficiency but also of budgeting philosophy, whether the government should lean more toward infrastructure spending or toward investments in people.