The Pampanga Business Circle (PBC) has urged the Senate to review the proposed 2027 national budget following the Supreme Court’s ruling declaring unconstitutional the 2024 and 2025 General Appropriations Acts (GAAs) and certain provisions of the 2026 budget.
In a statement issued October 21, 2026, the PBC said the October 20 high court’s decision underscored the need for transparency, fiscal discipline and accountability in the use of public funds.
“The national budget is not a political treasury. It is the people’s money, entrusted to government to serve the public good,” the business group said.
The Supreme Court found that Congress exceeded the total appropriations recommended by the President when it increased unprogrammed appropriations by about ?449.5 billion in the 2024 budget and the Department of Public Works and Highways’ Special Road Fund by around ?17.99 billion in the 2025 budget.
It also invalidated specific provisions on unprogrammed appropriations in the 2026 budget and ruled that the Strengthening Assistance for Government Infrastructure and Social Programs (SAGIP) allocations in the 2024 and 2025 budgets constituted prohibited lump-sum appropriations.
The PBC said the ruling should prompt Congress to review how the national budget is prepared, amended and implemented amid questionable flood-control allocations.
“How can government demand sacrifices from ordinary Filipinos while allowing constitutional safeguards over billions of pesos in public funds to be disregarded?” the group said.
The PBC stressed that the ruling was significant for Pampanga and Central Luzon, where recurring floods damage businesses, livelihoods and communities.
The group called for an independent examination of questionable flood-control allocations to determine whether projects were properly planned and delivered.
With Congress deliberating the proposed 2027 national budget, the PBC urged the Senate to scrutinize House-approved amendments and ensure that all appropriations comply with the Constitution.
The PBC called on President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to veto questionable items when warranted and ensure that the final budget prioritizes agriculture, education, healthcare, disaster preparedness and comprehensive flood management.
The group even urged authorities to investigate possible wrongdoing, stressing that the Supreme Court’s protection of programs and beneficiaries acting in good faith does not automatically shield those responsible for unconstitutional provisions from legal liability.
“The true test of government’s commitment to good governance is not what its officials say against corruption, but what they actually do to prevent it,” PBC said.
The group said the ruling presents an opportunity to reform the budgeting process and ensure that public funds are spent transparently and in line with the needs of Filipinos.