Ayuda to roads: Where the House wants to add billions in the 2027 budget

Already have Rappler+? Sign in to listen to groundbreaking journalism.

LOWER CHAMBER. The House of Representatives Session Hall.

This is AI-generated. Read the article for full context. Report any errors.

The House of Representatives’ Budget Amendments Review Subcommittee (BARSC) on Thursday, October 1, recommended P116.32 billion in budget realignments, with social assistance programs and infrastructure projects among the biggest proposed beneficiaries.

The recommendations are not yet final. They still have to undergo deliberation and approval by the House plenary before they are included in the 2027 General Appropriations Bill.

Among the biggest proposed increases are allocations for government assistance programs, including the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) and the Medical Assistance for Indigent Patients (MAIFIP).

BARSC recommended an additional P25.81 billion for AICS and P24.97 billion for MAIFIP.

These programs have drawn scrutiny from watchdogs, including the People’s Budget Coalition, over concerns about their use in distributing government assistance through lawmakers and local officials, including through guarantee letters. The proposed increases also come ahead of the 2028 elections.

BARSC also recommended P10 billion for the Presidential Assistance to Farmers and Fisherfolk (PAFF), another social assistance program that was not included in the original 2027 National Expenditure Program (NEP).

The total proposed increase for DPWH is P11.49 billion. Surigao del Sur 1st District Representative Romeo Momo was the proponent of the DPWH realignments.

The Department of Agriculture’s (DA) farm-to-market roads program may also receive an additional P4.96 billion.

BARSC likewise recommended an additional P1.55 billion for the DA’s Health Facilities Enhancement Program.

For education, an additional P952 million was proposed for the Department of Education’s Basic Education Facilities Fund, which covers the construction, repair, and improvement of public school infrastructure.

The proposed 2027 NEP contains P4.368 billion in confidential funds and P6.405 billion in intelligence funds

Among government agencies, the Department of Health received the largest proposed increase from the BARSC, at P28.36 billion.

It was followed by DSWD with P26.86 billion, DA P16.44 billion, and DPWH P11.49 billion.

BARSC also recommended an additional P5 billion funding for the House of Representatives.

See the breakdown of additional funding recommended for other agencies below.

Rappler also tracked which lawmakers proposed the budget realignments during the BARSC deliberations.

South Cotabato 2nd District Representative Ferdinand Hernandez proposed the largest total realignment, at P29.23 billion.

His recommendations included P24.97 billion for MAIFIP, P2.1 billion for the Tertiary Education Subsidy, and P1.77 billion for the Tulong Dunong Program.

He was followed by Guimaras Representative JC Nava, who proposed P28.86 billion in additional funding for DSWD. A large portion, P25.86 billion, was for AICS.

House Appropriations Committee chair Mikaela Suansing proposed P11.95 billion in realignments, including the P10 billion allocation for the Presidential Assistance to Farmers and Fisherfolk.

Meanwhile, Momo proposed P11.49 billion in additional funding for DPWH, including the allocations for roads, bridges, buildings, and convergence programs.

The BARSC’s hearing on Thursday was criticized by budget watchdogs over its lack of transparency.

The hearing, which was supposed to start at 1 pm, only started at 5:07 pm.

Unlike regular budget hearings, members of the media are not allowed to cover BARSC meetings in person.

People’s Budget Coalition co-convener and technical adviser AJ Montesa said the coalition had asked the House to allow media and civil society organizations to observe the proceedings in person. But, he said, their request was ignored.

During the hearing, Sunasing apologized to the public over the delay.

Civil society organizations also expressed dismay over the House leadership, saying they were sidelined in the budget process. – with research from Zara Pineda/Rappler.com

Zara Pineda is a Rappler volunteer and third-year AB Literature student majoring in Creative Writing and minoring in Commercial Regulations at De La Salle University. She also serves as editor of The LaSallian.