As Congress prepares to deliberate on the proposed ₱7.2-trillion national budget for 2027, we face a basic question: Where will every peso go, and what concrete benefits will it bring to our people?
The Filipino people must feel the impact of the 2027 national budget in their everyday lives—through lower prices of food and other basic goods, better employment opportunities, and higher incomes for workers, farmers, fisherfolk, and small entrepreneurs. It must be a clear reflection of our priorities and, most importantly, a commitment to improve the lives of every Filipino.
The budget must not be impressive on paper alone. It must be more than a list of government expenditures. It must be grounded in realities we see every day because the true measure of its success is whether it eases the daily burden of our people—whether families have enough food on the table, whether parents can send their children to school, whether they can afford rent, electricity, water, and transportation, and whether illness no longer forces families into debt.
Most importantly, our budget must keep us firmly on track toward achieving food security—so we can reduce our dependence on imports, lift our farmers and fisherfolk out of poverty, and ensure that ordinary Filipinos can see and feel where their hard-earned taxes are going.
For agriculture, food security must remain at the heart of our budget priorities. The proposed allocation for agriculture and agrarian reform should translate into stronger domestic food production, higher and more stable incomes for our farmers and fisherfolk, and more affordable food for Filipino families.
We must invest not only in production, but also in irrigation, farm-to-market roads, post-harvest facilities, cold storage, transportation, and agricultural extension services—so that our farmers and fisherfolk can produce more, earn more, and bring their products to consumers at fair prices.
Beyond food, we must also strengthen the healthcare budget to provide free consultations and medicines, adequately equip hospitals and health centers with more doctors, nurses, and other healthcare workers, and expand PhilHealth coverage.
Our people must feel this through lower hospital expenses and faster, more reliable medical services. Filipinos must not be one medical emergency away from complete and abject poverty.
The budget must also provide timely and adequate relief, healthcare services, and rehabilitation for families that lose their homes, livelihoods, crops, and property to typhoons, floods, earthquakes, and other calamities. Our people must never be left to recover on their own after a disaster.
And this brings us to the flood-control projects that have repeatedly failed our people. We will continue to scrutinize every peso allocated to these projects and demand that every step—from planning and procurement to implementation—is transparent, accountable, and open to meaningful public participation. Our people deserve flood-control projects that work, and a government that can account for every peso spent.
Every peso collected from the Filipino people must be spent for their benefit. Every proposed allocation must be examined not only for its amount but also for its purpose, readiness, implementation, and measurable impact.
We cannot afford waste, duplication, poorly planned projects, or spending that does not address the urgent needs of our people.
The national budget is more than a collection of numbers. It reflects our priorities and our promise to the Filipino people. Our priorities for 2027 must be clear: bring down prices, increase incomes, address basic needs such as food, healthcare, education, electricity, water, and transportation, assist disaster-stricken communities, and ensure that no public funds are stolen.
The people’s budget must be felt by the people—not lost to corruption.
‘BUDGET NG TAUMBAYAN, DAPAT RAMDAM NG TAUMBAYAN, HINDI MAHUHUTHOT SA KORAPSYON’ — PANGILINAN
Dapat maramdaman ng bawat Pilipino ang 2027 national budget sa kanilang araw-araw na buhay: sa mas mababang presyo ng pagkain at iba pang pangunahing bilihin, mas maraming oportunidad sa trabaho, at mas mataas na kita para sa mga manggagawa, magsasaka, mangingisda, at maliliit na negosyante.
Ang tunay na sukatan ng national budget ay kung napapagaan ba nito ang araw-araw na pasanin ng ating mga kababayan: kung may sapat at abot-kayang pagkain ang bawat pamilya; kung kaya nilang bayaran ang kuryente, tubig, at pamasahe; kung nakatatanggap ng de-kalidad na edukasyon ang ating mga anak; at kung hindi na kailangang mabaón sa utang ang isang pamilya kapag may nagkasakit.
Kailangan nating palakasin ang budget para sa healthcare upang magkaroon ng libreng konsultasyon at gamot, mga ospital at health center na kumpleto sa gamit, sapat na mga doktor, nurse, at iba pang health workers, at mas malawak na coverage ng PhilHealth. Dapat maramdaman ito ng ating mga kababayan sa mas mababang gastusin sa ospital at mas mabilis at maaasahang serbisyong medikal.
Dapat ding may sapat at napapanahong ayuda, serbisyong pangkalusugan, at rehabilitation para sa mga pamilyang nawawalan ng bahay, kabuhayan, pananim, at ari-arian dahil sa bagyo, baha, lindol, at iba pang kalamidad. Wala dapat naiiwan sa ating mga kababayan na mag-isa sa pagbangon matapos ang isang sakuna.
Higit sa lahat, bawat pisong kinokolekta mula sa taumbayan ay dapat gastusin para sa kanilang kapakanan — hindi dapat mawaldas sa korapsyon, kickback, ghost projects, o mga programang hindi kailangan. Kailangang malinaw, accountable, at masusing nasusuri ang bawat paglalaan at paggastos ng pera ng bayan.
Higit pa sa isang talaan ng mga numero ang national budget. Sinasalamin nito ang ating mga prayoridad at ang ating pangako sa mga Pilipino. Dapat malinaw ang ating mga prayoridad para sa 2027: Pababain ang presyo, pataasin ang kita, tugunan ang mga pangunahing pangangailangan tulad ng pagkain, healthcare, edukasyon, kuryente, tubig, at transportasyon, tulungan ang mga komunidad na sinalanta ng kalamidad, at tiyaking walang pondong bayan ang mananakaw.
Ang budget ng taumbayan ay dapat maramdaman ng taumbayan — hindi mahuhuthot sa korapsyon.