More than four trillion pesos from this year’s national spending plan had already been issued by the end of January, according to figures from the Department of Budget and Management (DBM).
Official records on allotment releases show that P4.251 trillion out of the P6.793-trillion 2026 General Appropriations Act had been made available to implementing agencies. This corresponds to 62.6 percent of the total program, leaving P2.542 trillion yet to be released.
Although the proportion of funds issued during the first month was marginally lower than the 64.9 percent recorded in January 2025, the peso value disbursed this year was larger in absolute terms.
National government departments received P2.8 trillion from their adjusted P3.683-trillion spending plan, equivalent to a 74.9 percent release rate. The Department of Education, which carries the biggest allocation among agencies, was provided P788.9 billion—representing 82.1 percent of its approved budget.
In contrast, the Department of Public Works and Highways was allotted P63.9 billion from its P529.6-billion program. The amount is significantly smaller than the over P500 billion released to the agency during the same period last year, as infrastructure spending remains tempered amid heightened scrutiny following issues surrounding flood control projects.
The Special Purpose Fund posted a 16.9 percent release rate, with P121.9 billion issued from its adjusted P719.5-billion program. Of that amount, P83.1 billion went to government-owned and controlled corporations.
Automatic appropriations reached P1.4 trillion, or 57.3 percent of the P2.4-trillion allocation, with the national tax allotment accounting for P1.2 trillion of the releases.
