PH Senate receives proposed ₱7.2-trillion 2027 national budget

MANILA — The Senate on Tuesday formally received the proposed ₱7.2-trillion national budget for fiscal year 2027, with the executive branch earmarking the lion’s share for social services and pushing basic education funding near the ₱1-trillion mark.

Senate President Win Gatchalian, Finance Committee Chairperson Sen. Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito, and Majority Leader Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri accepted the official copy of the 2027 National Expenditure Program (NEP) during a turnover ceremony at the Senate.

The executive delegation was led by Acting Budget Secretary Kim Robert De Leon, alongside Presidential Legislative Liaison Office Secretary Joey Sarte Salceda and officials from the Department of Budget and Management (DBM).

Under the proposed spending plan, social services will command the largest sectoral allocation at ₱2.456 trillion. Education remains the administration's single largest program priority, with ₱976 billion dedicated to the Department of Education.

According to the DBM, the 2027 NEP anchors its budget allocation on key strategic sectors: education, health, social protection, food security, infrastructure, job creation, digitalization, and disaster resilience. Substantial funding is also earmarked for critical support areas including healthcare, agriculture, transportation, and housing.

The submission of the NEP marks the official start of congressional budget season. Lawmakers will now subject the proposed allocations to committee-level scrutiny to craft the 2027 General Appropriations Bill before enacting the final national budget into law. -Paraluman News