Senate panel quickly OKs Office of the President's proposed 2026 budget

The Senate Committee on Finance swiftly approved Wednesday the proposed P27.3 billion budget of the Office of the President (OP) for fiscal year 2026. 

Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri moved to terminate the deliberations on the OP’s proposed budget in around 30 minutes, citing tradition. This was seconded by Senator Erwin Tulfo. 

Panel chairman Senator Sherwin Gatchalian approved the motion after no senator objected. 

The OP’s proposed 2026 budget is now deemed submitted for plenary consideration.

Under the 2026 National Expenditure Program (NEP), a total of P27.36 billion was approved for the OP, up 72% from the approved budget for 2025.

During the hearing, Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin said that the OP’s presence in the Senate’s budget deliberations showed President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s commitment to work closely with the upper chamber “in upholding our mutual objective of promoting the welfare of our people and the country’s national interests.” 

“The President deeply values the cooperation between our branches in the fulfillment of our common goal of development. Thus the Office of the President will fully cooperate with the Congress in its exercise of the constitutional mandate as the keeper of the purse,” he added. 

ASEAN 2026 

Bersamin said that the bulk of the OP’s proposed 2026 budget would be allocated to the Philippines’ hosting of the ASEAN Summit Meetings next year.

“[It] is about 64.33% of the OP budget we are proposing for fiscal year 2026. We note that while this amount is lodged with the OP, about 38% of the same will be released to other offices as their budgetary support for their respective parts in our country’s hosting,” the executive secretary said. 

He also stressed that the Philippines’ ASEAN hosting “will further improve our standing as a founding member of the ASEAN and will strengthen our political and economic ties with the community and our dialogue partners.”— RSJ/VBL, GMA Integrated News