Senate Committee on Finance chairperson JV Ejercito on Tuesday vowed to block last-minute insertions and amendments during bicameral conference committee deliberations on the proposed P7.2-trillion 2027 national budget.

Ejercito made the commitment after the Senate officially received the 2027 National Expenditure Program (NEP), marking the start of congressional scrutiny of the government's spending plan.

“As chairperson of the Senate Committee on Finance, we will now begin the important work of reviewing and scrutinizing the proposed national budget — keeping in mind that the power of the purse is ultimately a public trust,” Ejercito said.

He said the Senate would continue reforms aimed at making the budget process more transparent, including the use of a Budget Transparency Portal where the public can submit comments and position papers.

The Senate will also impose clearer standards in assessing budget amendment requests, including agencies' utilization rates; livestream and open bicameral conference committee discussions to the public; and hold public hearings with representatives of civil society organizations.

Ejercito said the Senate would also address issues encountered in previous budget deliberations and ensure they would not be repeated.

“Ngayon pa lang, nililinaw natin na hindi na pahihintulutan ang last-minute insertions o amendments sa bicameral conference committee. Lahat ng programa at hinihinging pondo ay dapat talakayin sa plenaryo ng magkabilang kapulungan,” he said.

Social services get P2.456 trillion

Ejercito welcomed the proposed P2.456-trillion allocation for social services, the largest among the sectors under the 2027 spending plan.

The allocation includes P99.1 billion for the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program, or 4Ps; P74.5 billion for the National Health Insurance Program; and P61.1 billion for the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Program.

Ejercito, principal author and sponsor of the Universal Health Care Act, also welcomed the P19-billion allocation for the UHC Fund for the Zero-Balance Billing Program in Department of Health and local government hospitals.

The proposed budget also provides P24.2 billion for the Medical Assistance to Indigent and Financially-Incapacitated Patients Program, P3.8 billion for the Cancer Assistance Fund and P14.5 billion for the Health Facilities Enhancement Program.

“These investments are crucial because our goal should be clear: when a Filipino gets sick, access to quality healthcare should not depend on how much money they have in their pocket,” Ejercito said.

“Walang Pilipino ang dapat matakot na magkasakit dahil sa kawalan ng pambayad sa hospital bills.”

Infrastructure gets boost

Ejercito also welcomed the P1.833-trillion allocation for economic services, particularly investments in infrastructure and transportation.

The proposed budget includes funding for major projects such as the North-South Commuter Railway, Metro Manila Subway, MRT-3 rehabilitation and LRT-1 Cavite Extension.

Ejercito said investments in roads, bridges, railways and other transportation systems would improve connectivity, create jobs and opportunities, and boost economic productivity.

“The real work begins now. As we go through the 2027 budget, we will carefully examine every allocation and make sure that our limited resources are directed toward programs that truly benefit the Filipino people and support economic growth,” he said.