The Marcos administration has released P6.39 trillion, or 94.1 percent, of the P6.793-trillion national budget as of the end of August, according to the Department of Budget and Management (DBM).
The release rate is slightly lower than the 95.5 percent recorded during the same period in 2025, leaving about P401.38 billion to be released in the remaining four months.
Among major agencies, the Department of Agriculture had released 68.8 percent of its budget, while the Department of Tourism released 87.4 percent, compared with 99.5 percent for the Department of Public Works and Highways.
For 2027, the DBM is proposing P74.45 billion for PhilHealth, including P19 billion for enhanced benefit packages and priority health interventions.
The government has also approved P10.377 billion for the Zero Balance Billing program to help reduce patients’ out-of-pocket hospitalization costs.
Source: PhilNews24 | September 17, 2026
