The Marcos administration is seeking a P7.2-trillion national budget for 2027, which is equivalent to 21.7 percent of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP).

The proposed 2027 budget is higher by 6 percent, or P407 billion, than the P6.793 trillion national budget for 2026, according to National Budget Memorandum (NBM) 158 issued by the Department of Budget and Management on Thursday.

The budget memorandum, signed by DBM Acting Secretary Kim Robert de Leon, was posted on the agency’s official website on Friday.

“The proposed budget for next year will focus on programs, activities and projects (PAPs) that seek to create better opportunities and address the needs of the Filipino people, helping ensure a more resilient and secure future for all,” the memorandum read.

De Leon said agency budget proposals underwent a careful review, with an “overarching goal of providing more funds for productive and key development expenditures.”

He said that agency absorptive capacity and implementation readiness would be taken into consideration when appropriating funds for new and expanded PAP proposals.