(DC file photo)
MANILA — The House of Representatives on Monday, November 9, defended proposed fund realignments under the 2027 national budget, citing slow implementation of government programs and Php 15.33 billion in unused disaster rehabilitation funds.
Bataan 2nd District Rep. Albert Garcia, senior vice chair of the House Committee on Appropriations, said lawmakers identified programs with low spending rates and substantial unutilized allocations during extensive budget deliberations.
Garcia explained that providing additional funding to programs still struggling to spend their 2026 allocations could result in further delays and inefficient use of public resources.
“Pero ‘yung mga programs na mabagal at nakita n’yo meron pang 2026 budget na natitira tapos darating pa ’yung 2027 budget, mabubulunan,” Garcia said during a press conference attended by representatives of major political parties.
He emphasized that the proposed adjustments targeted specific programs with implementation problems rather than entire agency budgets.
“Nang sa ganoon, walang budget na bumalik, walang budget na matengga,” he added.
Garcia said the realignments were intended to ensure that government funds would be directed toward programs capable of delivering services and assistance more efficiently.
FPJ Panday Bayanihan party-list Rep. Brian Poe cited the Disaster Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Assistance Program under the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Fund as an example of underspending.
According to Poe, the program had Php 15.33 billion in unused allocations as of June 30, 2026.
“That budget was not used at all,” Poe said.
He explained that the unused allocation prompted lawmakers to propose increasing the quick response funds of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and the Department of Agriculture (DA).
“So what happened? Ito ’yung naging precursor po ng amendment po natin na imbes na nandito nakatengga ’yung pondo, pinalipat po sa quick reaction fund of the DSWD and the DA,” Poe said.
Poe maintained that the proposed realignment would preserve the funds’ original disaster-response purpose while allowing agencies with greater implementation capacity to provide assistance more quickly.
“It just so happens that the DA and DSWD could mobilize quicker,” he said.
Garcia said the reasons behind the budget adjustments had already been discussed during committee hearings, some of which lasted up to 10 hours.
He noted that certain agencies underwent additional scrutiny to determine whether their proposed allocations were justified by their implementation performance.
“Gusto ko lang pong ipaliwanag, all of the answers to those questions and queries can be found doon sa marathon hearings na ginawa ng bawat vice chair doon sa mga agency,” Garcia said.
Meanwhile, Poe urged senators and civil society organizations to help review the proposed realignments and determine whether programs identified as underspending were appropriate sources of funds for more urgent government initiatives.
“But we also need help in making sure that the projects and programs that we identified as underperforming or with low absorptive capacity are the right ones,” he said.
House defends funding for multipurpose buildings
House lawmakers also defended the proposed construction of approximately 4,000 multipurpose buildings under the 2027 national budget amid questions over a reported Php 43-billion increase in funding for such facilities.
Garcia said the proposed number of buildings would cover only about 10 percent of the country’s more than 42,000 barangays.
“If I recall correctly, we have around 4,000 multi-purpose buildings. And how many barangays do we have? 42,000 barangays,” Garcia said.
“So that is a mere 10 percent of the need of our barangays across the nation,” he added.
He explained that multipurpose buildings serve various community needs, including evacuation during disasters, barangay meetings, sports activities and public gatherings.
In agricultural communities, some facilities also function as drying areas for harvested palay, providing additional support to local farmers.
Negros Oriental 3rd District Rep. Janice Degamo said many remote communities lack adequate public facilities, forcing residents to use a single structure for multiple purposes.
“Minsan isang structure, lahat ng kailangan gawin doon ginagawa dahil wala pong iba,” Degamo said.
Camarines Sur 4th District Rep. Arnie Fuentebella likewise maintained that the proposed 4,000 multipurpose buildings would remain insufficient to address the needs of barangays nationwide.
Fuentebella said requests for such facilities often came directly from local officials and communities without enough resources to finance construction projects.
The lawmakers’ statements came as the House-approved 2027 national budget faces scrutiny over proposed amendments and increases in infrastructure allocations.
The spending proposal is currently under Senate review before the two chambers convene for bicameral deliberations to reconcile their respective versions of the national budget.
