Budget for hiring, benefits of gov't workers cut to P77B

The bicameral conference committee on late Wednesday reduced the House-approved 2026 budget for the Miscellaneous Personnel Benefits Fund (MPBF) by over P34 million from P111.5 billion to P77.04 billion.                                                                                                                                                     

Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, chairman of the Senate committee on finance, said that the realignments would go to the subsistence allowance of uniformed personnel, refuting claims that they would be converted into pork barrel funds.

“Wala pong katotohanan na pumunta ‘yan sa pork barrel. Katulad po ng sinabi ni Congresswoman Mika [Suansing], ‘yan po ay inilipat po sa iba't ibang ahensya patungo po sa subsistence allowance ng military uniform personnel. So ibig sabihin, makakakuha ho sila ng dagdag na subsistence allowance from P150 to P300,” he explained.

(There is no truth that it went to the pork barrel. Just like what Cong. Mika Suansing said, it was transferred to different agencies for the subsistence allowance of military uniform personnel. So that means they will get an additional subsistence allowance from P150 to P300.) 

“Kaya po natin tinransfer para ang ahensya na ang diretsyo magbigay sa mga military uniformed personnel kaysa pupunta pa ho sila sa [Department of Budget Management] at magre-request, diretsyo na ho sa ahensya. Mas mabilis, hindi ho made-delay,” he added. 

(We transferred this to allow agencies to directly give the subsistence to military uniformed personnel, so they would no longer have to go to the DBM. Once they go directly to the agency, the provision would be faster and there won't be any delays.) 

MPBF is a lump-sum fund under the Department of Budget and Management utilised to cover the payment of various benefits and adjustments for national government employees, such as hazard pay, retirement gratuities, and terminal leave.

ACT Teachers party-list Representative Antonio Tinio earlier claimed that the Senate cut the benefits for rank-and-file government employees and realigned them to the “discretionary pork barrel funds” for local government units (LGUs). 

Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” Lacson had also rebutted claims of a supposed P17.9-billion pork barrel fund for the Senate under the 2026 national budget, saying these were meant to increase the subsistence allowance of uniformed personnel. —LDF, GMA Integrated News