The 2026 national budget is structured to address the country’s “minimum basic needs,” with priority spending focused on education, health, agriculture, social services, and job creation, Acting Budget Secretary Rolando Toledo said on Saturday, January 10.
In an interview on DZRH News program Special on Saturday, Toledo said the framework of the 2026 General Appropriations Act (GAA) reflects President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s directive to concentrate public resources on frontline services that directly affect Filipinos’ daily lives.
“Ang objective po ng ating Pangulo or ang administrasyon ay pangunahing serbisyo ang bigyan nating puwang sa ating alokasyon para sa ating mga ahensya,” Toledo said.
He explained that the administration’s budget priorities center on sectors that immediately benefit households, particularly education, agriculture, health, social protection, and employment.
“Focus po kasi ngayon ay ang edukasyon, agrikultura, kalusugan, social service, at of course, ‘yung job opportunity,” he said.
Toledo said education continues to receive the largest share of the 2026 budget, followed by infrastructure, health, and social services, underscoring what he described as a people-centered spending plan.
He added that agriculture remains among the top-funded departments, noting that while allocations have increased, the sector has consistently been part of the government’s top budget priorities.
“Kasama po lagi naman ang Department of Agriculture kasi sa ngayon po, binibigyan po kasi ng diin para matulungan ang ating farmers and fisherfolk,” Toledo said.
The acting budget chief said social protection programs, including those under the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), remain heavily funded to ensure direct assistance reaches vulnerable sectors.
Toledo also pointed to safeguards in the 2026 GAA to prevent political interference in aid distribution, citing provisions that bar politicians from participating in or branding cash assistance activities.
“All cash assistance and other forms of financial aid distribution shall be conducted exclusively by authorized government officers and personnel or accredited partners,” he said, reading from the law.
Addressing other fiscal concerns, Toledo said budget releases are guided by discipline and transparency to ensure public funds are used strictly for their intended purposes.
“Definitely panalo ang ating mga kababayan,” Toledo said, adding that the administration’s goal is to ensure that every peso serves a purpose for the Filipino people.
