A lawmaker on Monday described the proposed ₱6.79 trillion national budget for 2026 as sound and socially responsive after several sectors received their largest allocations in years.

“We have analyzed the budget down to the last detail to come up with policies that are fiscally sound, socially responsive, and humane,” Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, chair of the Senate finance committee, said.

The education sector will receive 12 percent of the national budget, or ₱1.38 trillion—the largest share in the country’s history. 

The amount marks an increase from the originally proposed ₱1.224 trillion National Expenditure Program, with ₱56.6 billion realigned by the House of Representatives during deliberations.

The defense sector also received its highest allocation on record at ₱385.97 billion.

Health-related programs likewise saw increases, with funding for the Zero Balance Billing Program rising from ₱53.3 billion under the National Expenditure Program to ₱62.6 billion in the Senate’s version.

For social services, ₱101.8 billion will be allocated to the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program. The Social Pension for Indigent Senior Citizens was increased by ₱8.2 billion, while the Supplementary Feeding Program was expanded to benefit more than 1.8 million children under age five.

For overseas Filipino workers, the AKSYON Fund under the Department of Migrant Workers was doubled to ₱2.4 billion from ₱1.2 billion approved by Congress.

The agriculture sector will see an additional ₱500 million next year to fund the establishment of food hubs that will allow farmers to sell directly to consumers.

Meanwhile, the Department of Public Works and Highways’ budget was cut by ₱55.91 billion, from ₱624.48 billion under the House-approved General Appropriations Bill to ₱568.56 billion in the Senate’s version, following the discovery of red flags in flood control projects.

Gatchalian said the government is committed to restoring “leadership, accountability, and transparency” in the government following corruption issues.