Win Gatchalian: 'Zero' unprogrammed funds possible if set at NEP level

Senator Sherwin Gatchalian said Tuesday that it would have been possible to totally remove contentious unprogrammed appropriations in the 2026 national budget if it was done during the crafting of the National Expenditure Program (NEP).

Gatchalian, chairman of the Senate committee on finance, said it was difficult to zero out the unprogrammed funds at the latter part of the budget process as it would affect other projects. 

"Actually, puwede siya technically… Pero sa laki ng halaga, kailangan 'yan planuhin nang mabuti sa umpisa pa lang, sa National Expenditure Program. Hindi puwedeng tanggalin 'yan sa dulo," the senator said in an Unang Balita interview.

(Actually, it could be removed technically... But considering the big amount, it has to be planned carefully from the very beginning, during the National Expenditure Program. It could not be removed at the end.) 

"Ang pinag-uusapan natin, ang original unprogrammed [funds] is P247 billion. So kung tatanggalin 'yan sa unprogrammed, ilalagay sa programmed, marami tayong mga projects na matatanggal sa programmed at magkakaroon talaga ng problema ngayon sa implementasyon ng iba't ibang proyekto," he added.

(The original unprogrammed funds is at P247 billion. So if that is removed from the unprogrammed, and put in the programmed, many projects will be affected in the programmed and there will be a problem in the implementation of various projects.)

During the ceremonial signing of the P6.793-trillion national budget for fiscal year 2026 on Monday, President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. announced that he vetoed nearly P92.5-billion worth of line items under the unprogrammed appropriations. 

The President said the unprogrammed funds under the 2026 General Appropriations Act (GAA) were reduced to its "absolute bare minimum," or at the level lowest since 2019, to ensure that public funds are expended in clear service of national interests.

Executive Secretary Ralph Recto said only three items under unprogrammed funds remain in the 2026 GAA: support to foreign-assisted projects worth P97.305 billion; revised Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Modernization Program worth P50 billion; and Risk Management Program worth P3.6 billion. — VDV, GMA Integrated News