President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has reduced unprogrammed appropriations (UA) in the 2026 national budget to their lowest level since 2019, vetoing nearly ₱92.5 billion in proposed items he cautioned could be abused.
In his veto message to Congress after signing the ₱6.793-trillion budget, Marcos said UA had been cut to the “absolute bare minimum,” stressing they are not automatic spending authority but contingency buffers released only under strict legal conditions.
“We will not allow the UA to be misused or treated as a backdoor for discretionary spending,” he told lawmakers.
Data from the Department of Budget and Management showed UA allocations were reduced to ₱150.9 billion for 2026, the lowest in seven years, compared to over ₱800 billion in 2023 and more than ₱700 billion in 2024 before being trimmed in 2025.
Marcos’ veto removed items covering budgetary support for government corporations, prior years’ LGU shares, personnel services, insurance of government assets, and industry incentive programs such as the Comprehensive Automotive Resurgence Strategy.
Malacañang said the move aims to restore public confidence in the budget process.
“This is a measured exercise of executive authority,” Marcos added, assuring that any UA releases would be transparent, validated, and backed by clear funding sources.
The administration emphasized that tightening UA spending will not disrupt operations, with salary adjustments, foreign-assisted projects, and flagship infrastructure fully covered under programmed funds.