The House Committee on Appropriations approved the Office of the President’s proposed P10.15 billion budget for fiscal year 2027 in a swift 37-5 vote on Tuesday, September 1, 2026. The funding allocation represents a 64 percent reduction from the previous year, driven by lower operational costs and the conclusion of ASEAN Summit activities.
Committee Approves Budget Amid Swift Interparliamentary Courtesy
Lawmakers in the House of Representatives moved quickly on Tuesday, September 1, 2026, to advance the executive branch’s financial plans. The House Committee on Appropriations approved the proposed P10,155,758,000 budget for the Office of the President within the first 25 minutes of deliberations, according to coverage from Philstar.com. The panel voted 37 in the affirmative and 5 negative, extending institutional and inter-branch courtesy
to the OP and terminating further discussions and interpellations on its proposed 2027 budget. Approval was granted in less than 20 minutes according to GMA News.
The ruling was announced by House appropriations committee Senior Vice Chairperson Representative Albert Garcia. House Minority Leader Representative Marcelino Libanan of 4Ps party-list initially made the motion to extend interparliamentary courtesy to the office of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., subject to the manifestations of some House members. This was echoed by House Senior Deputy Speaker Ferdinand Hernandez of South Cotabato. The motion terminated further deliberations and discussions of the sought budget.
Understanding the 64 Percent Spending Reduction
Under the 2027 National Expenditure Program (NEP), the OP is seeking a total of P10,155,758,000 budget, about 64% lower than the 2026 budget. According to Executive Secretary Ralph Recto, who attended the hearing with other officials from the Office of the President, the proposed budget represents only 0.14% of the P7.2 trillion total budget proposal for 2027.
Based on the publicly available General Appropriations Act of 2026 uploaded on the website of the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), the Office of the President was allocated P28,028,733,000. Executive Secretary Ralph Recto said the substantial reduction reflected the lower operational requirements of [the OP's] delivery units and the completion of activities related to the Philippines' hosting of the ASEAN Summit for which no additional funding will be required next year.
“In short, we’re asking for less while remaining fully prepared to do more. We believe this amount is sufficient for the Presidency to meet the exacting demands of leading the nation at a time of overlapping domestic and external challenges.”
Executive Secretary Ralph Recto
Dissenting Lawmakers Push Back Over Transparency Concerns
Not all legislators agreed with the decision to truncate debate. ACT Teachers Party-list Rep Antonio Tinio, however, objected to the motions, as he argued that the OP should answer questions regarding the flood control mess and its confidential and intelligence funds. Tinio argued that Congress should also demand transparency from the Office of the President, the same way that it demanded the Office of the Vice President to be transparent about its budget, citing alleged involvement of some Cabinet officials in flood control corruption and stating that the Office of the President needs to explain why almost half of its budget goes to confidential and intelligence funds.
“Ang gusto ng taumbayan ay transparency. Kailangan patas, dapat patas ang Kongresong ito sa application ng prinsipyo ng transparency. Lakas maka-demand ng Kongresong ito ng transparency para sa Office of the Vice President, dapat ganoon din para sa Office of the President.”
Representative Antonio Tinio, ACT Teachers Party-list
In their manifestations, some lawmakers explained their negative votes and cited the need for transparency and accountability as reasons to oppose the parliamentary courtesy.
Among those who opposed were Tinio, Rep. Renee Co (Kabataan Party-list), Rep. Sarah Elago (Gabriela Party-list), Rep. Eli San Fernando (KAMANGGAGAWA Party-list) and Rep. Iris Montes (4K Party-list).
Next Steps in the Plenary Deliberations
Prior to the voting, Garcia explained that House members’ questions, clarifications, and suggestions regarding the OP’s proposed budget will be answered either here or at the plenary where we will have a wider platform for everyone to witness.
With the committee stage concluded, the OP’s proposed 2027 budget is now deemed submitted for plenary consideration of the House of Representatives.
