Speaker Faustino G. Dy III on Monday hailed the enactment of the 2026 General Appropriations Act (GAA) as a genuine “People’s Budget,” vowing strict congressional oversight to ensure public funds are spent lawfully, efficiently, and without corruption.
The leader of the House of Representatives made the assurance after President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. signed into law the P6.793-trillion national budget during a ceremony at Malacañang.
“The signing of the budget is not the end of our work. Simula pa lang ito. It is the start of oversight. Congress will make sure every peso is spent exactly as approved,” Dy said in a statement on Monday.
He described the 2026 GAA as an inclusive, transparent, and accountable budget that prioritizes the public’s interests, saying it reflects the administration’s commitment to ensuring that public funds directly address the daily needs of its citizens.
“This is the People’s Budget. It is a budget that is open, accountable, and focused on improving lives—creating jobs, strengthening education, expanding health care, and ensuring food security,” Dy said.
“This reflects the President’s clear direction that public funds must be used responsibly and felt by the people.”
Dy noted that the 2026 budget delivers concrete gains across key social sectors, including substantial investments in education, health services, and social protection, while maintaining fiscal discipline to keep public finances stable.
He also underscored that the 2026 GAA introduced reforms and milestones never before implemented in the budget process, marking a turning point in how public funds are deliberated and approved.
For the first time, bicameral conference committee deliberations were livestreamed, allowing the public to witness budget discussions in real-time.
The traditional small committee was also replaced with the Budget Amendments Review Subcommittee (BARSC), ensuring that all amendments were reviewed collectively, transparently, and fully on the record.
“These reforms opened the budget process to public scrutiny. Every step and every peso can now be explained and defended before the Filipino people,” Dy said.
