MANILA – A few hours after Ferdinand  Marcos Jr. signed the P6.79 trillion 2026 national budget, activists held a protest action near Malacañang to denounce what they called the “pork-laden, and repressive national budget.”

In a statement, Bagong Alyansang Makabayan said the final 2026 General Appropriations Act (GAA) retains hundreds of billions of pesos in questionable and high-risk pork barrel allocations, including P243 billion in unprogrammed appropriations, more than P200 billion in bloated “soft pork” aid programs, plus billions more in infrastructure projects vulnerable to kickbacks and political manipulation. The GAA also includes more than P11 billion in confidential and intelligence funds, P8 billion in NTF-ELCAC pork projects, and expanded military spending.

“These line items have been explicitly flagged as risky, patronage-driven, or constitutionally questionable, yet they have been allowed to remain in the enrolled bill sent to Malacañang,” Bayan said. “Hindi puwedeng ihiwalay si Marcos Jr. sa bulok na badyet na ito. By signing the 2026 GAA, he takes responsibility for every part of it, including its wrong priorities, its distortions, and its ugly consequences.”

Kim Falyao of BAI Indigenous Women stressed how Indigenous Peoples remain least prioritized by the government.

“Hanggang ngayon po ay hindi pa rin nabubuksan or nare-rebuild ang mga paaralang Lumad sa Mindanao,” Falyao said. She also emphasizes that IPs continuously experiences government neglect and often targeted by state attacks all while funding for military exercises increases.

Text by Jian Zharese Joeis Sanz
Photos by Viggo Sarmago

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