Imperial Manila strikes again as the lion’s share of the 2026 budget flows to Luzon and NCR, leaving Mindanao and Visayas barely a quarter of the budget.
Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez sounded the alarm over what he described as a “Mega Manila-centric” 2026 national budget, warning that Mindanao and the Visayas are once again left with a disproportionately small share despite their population and economic contributions.
Citing Department of Budget and Management (DBM) figures during deliberations, Rodriguez noted that Mindanao will receive only 15.4% of the proposed budget, while the Visayas will get just 11.1%.
In comparison, Luzon excluding the National Capital Region (NCR) is set to corner 24.4%, while Metro Manila alone will receive 13.3%—bringing the combined share of Luzon and NCR to 37.7%.
“Mindanao, comprising six regions, only received the measly amount of 15.4%,” Rodriguez said, stressing that the island group is home to 26 million Filipinos, or 22.3% of the national population.
He added that Mindanao contributes 18–19% of gross domestic product (GDP) yet is not seeing proportional investment in infrastructure and services.
The congressman pointed to a worrying trend, saying Mindanao’s share has been declining: from 17% in earlier Congresses to 16.6% in 2022, down now to 15.4%.
“This is the decreasing trend,” he said, citing a report from the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) that described Philippine growth as “Mega Manila-centric” and urged greater diversification to strengthen regional economies.
Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman, herself a Mindanaoan, acknowledged Rodriguez’s concern but explained that many allocations are lodged under the “central office” of departments.
“For example, foreign-assisted projects, 4Ps, AICS, even school-building programs are recorded under central offices, but they are implemented in the regions,” she said. Pangandaman suggested presenting breakdowns in future budget hearings to show the regional impact of centrally lodged funds.
Rodriguez, however, was unconvinced. He argued that the “central office” item, which accounts for about 10.2% of the budget, risks becoming a “pork barrel” of Cabinet members rather than directly benefiting the regions.
“It should be pushed already to the regions, especially Mindanao and the Visayas. We are not going against Luzon, but we want fairer distribution,” he said.
