As the P6.793-trillion national budget for fiscal year 2026 moves from legislation to implementation, long-standing concerns raised by Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano on the direction and substance of public spending have once again come into focus.
Throughout the budget deliberations that led to the approval of the 2026 General Appropriations Act — now signed into law by Ferdinand Marcos Jr. — Cayetano consistently emphasized that assurances of reform and transparency must be reflected in actual priorities on the ground, particularly in rural development, early childhood nutrition, and support for local government units (LGUs).
For the veteran legislator, the true measure of any national budget lies not in declared intentions, but in whether it delivers meaningful change to communities that have long been left behind.
“This was a great opportunity for a game-changer budget, yet it does not really promote rural development, and the unprogrammed funds are still there,” the seasoned lawmaker said during Senate deliberations on the 2026 spending plan, as he explained his vote against the budget and stressed that reform must be evident in where government chooses to spend.
While the senator acknowledged improvements over previous spending plans — including the veto of P92.5 billion worth of items under unprogrammed appropriations — Cayetano has repeatedly cautioned that these steps, while welcome, fall short of what is needed to make the budget truly transformative.
“Unprogrammed funds have always been a weak spot in the budget, and this veto puts accountability back at the center.”
“Unprogrammed funds have always been a weak spot in the budget, and this veto puts accountability back at the center. This is a much better budget than last year, but it’s still not a game-changer budget,” he said in earlier debates.
Cayetano has also stressed that the scale of the country’s challenges calls for more decisive and comprehensive solutions.
“It’s an extraordinary budget with extraordinary problems. Dapat extraordinary rin ‘yung solution.”
“It’s an extraordinary budget with extraordinary problems. Dapat extraordinary rin ‘yung solution. We cannot be half transparent. Yes, there are reforms and I acknowledge that. [Pero] kung magre-reform na rin tayo, itodo na rin natin,” he said.
Among the recurring concerns Cayetano has raised is the persistent imbalance in development spending, with Metro Manila continuing to receive a disproportionate share while many regions struggle to catch up.
He previously cited the Mindanao Railway as a project that could have sent a clear signal of genuine decentralization and inclusive growth, noting that its suspension in 2023 — and continued absence from funding allocations — runs counter to stated commitments to regional development.
“It’s a good signal sa Mindanao na hindi naman tayo panay Metro Manila lang,” Cayetano said.
“Nag-a-agree tayo na dapat mag-decentralize, dapat hindi panay sa Metro Manila ang mga programa, dapat train over cars, but the budget is not reflecting that,” he added.
Cayetano has likewise warned that weak funding for rural development, mass transportation outside Luzon, climate adaptability, and LGU support places undue strain on local governments, which remain at the frontlines of service delivery.
Another issue he has persistently highlighted is child stunting, which he has described as a growing national emergency with long-term implications for the country’s workforce and productivity.
“Marami sa mga batang stunted ang magiging future PWDs. The earlier we intervene, the less we spend later on treatment and social costs,” Cayetano said in previous budget discussions, underscoring the need to prioritize early childhood nutrition as a long-term investment.
As implementation of the 2026 budget begins, he has maintained that sustained oversight is essential to ensure that reform commitments translate into real improvements in people’s lives.
Cayetano said his bloc will continue to closely monitor budget execution, stressing that genuine reform is measured not by allocations on paper, but by outcomes felt in communities nationwide.
