Budget Check: DBM Says Nearly Two-Thirds of 2026 Funds Already Out
More than half of the Philippines’ 2026 national budget has already been released as of the end of February, according to the Department of Budget and Management. DBM data showed P4.31 trillion had gone out from the P6.793-trillion General Appropriations Act, or about 63.5 percen
More than half of the Philippines’ 2026 national budget has already been released as of the end of February, according to the Department of Budget and Management. DBM data showed P4.31 trillion had gone out from the P6.793-trillion General Appropriations Act, or about 63.5 percent of the full-year budget.
That means roughly P2.48 trillion is still waiting to be released. Compared with the same point last year, the pace is a bit slower, with the February 2025 disbursement rate recorded at 67 percent.
Most of the money released so far went to national government departments and agencies, which received P2.8 trillion. Special Purpose Funds got P141.9 billion, while Automatic Appropriations accounted for P1.4 trillion, based on the agency’s latest status report.
The spending target for the year remains huge. The Development Budget Coordination Committee wants total disbursements to hit P6.43 trillion in 2026, equal to 21.1 percent of GDP and higher than last year’s level. That target matters even more after government spending weakened in late 2025 following a major corruption scandal tied to infrastructure projects.
Budget Secretary Rolando Toledo has also been trying to calm concerns by saying the 2026 budget contains no ghost projects and that infrastructure work should move without delays. So yes, malaki na ang nailabas, but the bigger test is whether the remaining funds are spent cleanly and fast enough to support growth.
Source: The Manila Times – https://www.manilatimes.net/2026/03/23/business/top-business/dbm-64-of-2026-national-budget-released/2305072
