The Department of Finance (DOF) has set out guiding principles for safeguarding public funds, with a top priority of preventing wasteful spending, an official said on Monday.
“Setting revenue targets carefully and spending taxes wisely on programs and projects that directly benefit the Filipino people” are among the principles, DOF Undersecretary Karlo Adriano said during a Senate briefing.
Adriano, representing Finance Secretary Ralph Recto, briefed the Senate Committee on Finance on how the government ensures funding for the nation’s progress. The briefing was part of a session for the 2026 national budget on Sept. 1, 2025, led by the Development Budget Coordination Committee (DBCC).
The DBCC, chaired by Department of Budget and Management (DBM) Secretary Amenah Pangandaman, is responsible for reviewing and approving macroeconomic targets, revenue projections, borrowing levels, budget ceilings and expenditure priorities.
Pangandaman presented the proposed 2026 national budget of P6.793 trillion, which is 7.4 percent higher than the 2025 budget and equivalent to 22 percent of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP).
She reaffirmed the government’s commitment to open government, saying: “We will also ensure that transparency and accountability are embodied in our Agenda for Prosperity.”
Department of Economy, Planning and Development (DEPDev) Undersecretary Rosemarie Edillon, Office of the Special Assistant to the President for Investment and Economic Affairs (OSAPIEA) Secretary Frederick Go and Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Governor Eli Remolona Jr. also provided updates on the country’s economic performance.
Meanwhile, Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, who chairs the Senate Committee on Finance, announced the activation of the Senate’s Budget Transparency Portal. He said it would usher in a “golden age of transparency” in the budget process.
“We are encouraging the public to submit to us their suggestions, their analysis, their criticisms, so that they will have a voice in the discussions of the budget,” Gatchalian said.
