Members of the Makabayan bloc on Tuesday denounced the ratified 2026 General Appropriations Bill (GAB), arguing it was crafted not for public welfare but to secure the political survival of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s administration.
“Hindi ito para sa taumbayan. It is a budget designed for the political survival of the corrupt Marcos administration, a budget that perpetuates systemic corruption through billions in pork barrel funds, and a budget that enables fascist repression against a growing people’s movement demanding accountability and genuine democracy,” the bloc said in a statement.
The group criticized the ₱6.793 trillion budget for failing to address urgent national needs, citing inadequate funding for education, healthcare, housing, agrarian reform, and industrialization, while billions are funneled into pork barrel allocations, debt servicing, and programs they say serve foreign interests.
Rejecting claims that the budget is pork-free, Makabayan listed multiple forms of pork barrel—“presidential pork, vice-presidential pork, allocables, hard pork, soft pork, generals’ pork, and the newest variant—LGU pork.” They flagged sharp increases in lump-sum funds, including the Local Government Support Fund, financial assistance to LGUs, and the Growth Equity Fund, all of which they warned could be used at politicians’ discretion.
They also criticized the ₱15.33 billion Disaster Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Assistance Program for LGUs as “a new form of presidential pork barrel,” while noting the ₱8 billion allocation for the NTF-ELCAC’s Support to Barangay Development Program—dubbed “generals’ pork”—remains intact. Confidential and intelligence funds were also raised to more than ₱11 billion.
Makabayan further raised alarm over ₱243 billion in Unprogrammed Appropriations and the expansion of patronage-driven assistance programs.
“The budget more than doubles allocations for band-aid assistance programs that fuel patronage politics: Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) at ₱63.9 billion, Medical Assistance to Indigent and Financially Incapacitated Patients (MAIFIP) at ₱51.6 billion, and Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (TUPAD) at ₱22.4 billion,” they said.
“Kahit ano pang pangalan ang gamitin, these programs constitute the essence of the pork barrel system—rebranded but fundamentally unchanged. They prioritize short-term, fragmented assistance over accessible and adequate healthcare, education, decent work, and livelihood,” the bloc added.