Senator Kiko Pangilinan said the proposed P7.2-trillion national budget must be used to improve the lives of ordinary Filipinos, particularly poor families, farmers, fisherfolk, and the youth, and must not become a source of profit for a select few.
Pangilinan, who has been championing good governance and food security for decades, stressed that government spending must translate into concrete improvements in the daily lives of Filipinos, including higher incomes for farmers and fisherfolk, lower food prices, better access to nutritious food, decent jobs, and quality education for children and young people.
“Ang sukatan ng P7.2-trillion budget ay hindi kung gaano ito kalaki, kundi kung naabot nito ang mga ordinaryong Pilipino.”
“Ang sukatan ng P7.2-trillion budget ay hindi kung gaano ito kalaki, kundi kung naabot nito ang mga ordinaryong Pilipino at naiaangat sila mula sa kahirapan,” the veteran legislator said.
“Dapat ramdam ito sa hapag-kainan, sa kita ng magsasaka at mangingisda, sa paaralan ng ating mga anak, at sa pang-araw-araw na buhay ng bawat pamilyang Pilipino,” the seasoned lawmaker added.
The senator stressed that agriculture and fisheries must receive sufficient and effective support so that those who produce the country’s food can earn decent incomes while consumers benefit from a stable and affordable food supply.
He pointed out that food security begins with empowering the country’s food producers—the farmers and fisherfolk—making sure that food prices remain affordable to Filipinos.
The budget, Pangilinan said, must not line the pockets of middlemen and contractors.
He likewise explained that strengthening domestic food production will make nutritious food more accessible to poor families, particularly children who are vulnerable to hunger, malnutrition, and stunting.
Investments in nutrition must go hand in hand with investments in education, emphasizing that children cannot fully learn and reach their potential if they go to school hungry and without adequate support.
Earlier, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) submitted the P7.2-trillion National Expenditure Program (NEP) for 2027 to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The NEP was also transmitted to Congress.
Pangilinan, who chairs the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Food, and Agrarian Reform and was instrumental in defending the Department of Agriculture’s (DA) and its attached agencies’ budget last year, also called for greater transparency in the monitoring of government spending.
“Ang pondo ng bayan ay dapat gastusin sa kung ano ang kailangan ng mga Pilipino—hindi para palakihin ang bulsa ng iilan.”
“Dapat magmatyag ang taong bayan at dapat ang gobyerno ay open at willing sagutin ang mga katanungan tungkol sa paggasta ng budget. Ang pondo ng bayan ay dapat gastusin sa kung ano ang kailangan ng mga Pilipino—hindi para palakihin ang bulsa ng iilan,” he said.
Stronger transparency and accountability mechanisms are necessary to prevent waste, corruption, overpriced projects, and the undue favoring of select contractors, Pangilinan added.
“Hindi lang dapat nakalista ang mga proyekto at hindi lang puro nasa kontrata ang perang nagastos at nagagastos. Dapat nakikita ito at nararamdaman ng taong bayan. Pagod na pagod na ang mga kababayan natin sa mga ghost at substandard na projects, sa kawalan ng serbisyo, at sa pang-aabuso sa pera at kapangyarihan,” he lamented.
“And budget na ito ay para sa bayan at para sa Pilipino kaya nananawagan ako sa ating mga kababayan na magbantay, magtanong, at mag-ingay para ang gobyerno ay matakot na kayo’y lokohin, nakawan, at abusuhin,” Pangilinan concluded.
