Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman admitted that the Philippines cannot yet meet international benchmarks in funding education, health, and social protection due to limited fiscal space.
At a House budget briefing, Rep. Chel Diokno questioned why allocations remain short of global standards, noting that the 2026 budget allots only 3.5% of GDP for education, 1% for health, and 2.2% for social protection — far below recommended levels.
Pangandaman explained that agencies had submitted over P10 trillion worth of proposals, but this was trimmed down to P6.793 trillion, prioritizing programs under the Philippine Development Plan.
She stressed, however, that social services remain the government’s top allocation at 34.1% of the budget, with education receiving P1.224 trillion and healthcare P320.5 billion, a 23.6% increase.
Lawmakers are also considering realigning certain funds, including flood control allocations, to boost education spending.
Source: PhilNews24 | August 20, 2025
