A proposed P7.2-trillion national budget for 2027 would channel its heaviest funding into education, with President Marcos framing the entire spending package as a direct investment in Filipino lives.
Education stands as the single largest priority allocation at P1.314 trillion, of which P976 billion goes to the Department of Education. That money is meant to cover teacher training, digital learning tools, scholarships, classroom construction, student mental health services, and school feeding, with P11.4 billion set for the School-Based Feeding Program and P30.5 billion for the Basic Education Facilities Program. Tertiary education draws P61 billion under the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Program, and P1.6 billion is lined up for the Bagong Pilipinas Merit Scholarship Program.
Physical development runs close behind through the Build Better More program at P1.467 trillion, spread across roads, bridges, railways, airports, water and power facilities, hospitals, schools, and irrigation. The Department of Public Works and Highways is slated for P644 billion, a sum that includes P176.6 billion for road network development, P76.5 billion for asset preservation, and P44.4 billion for the Bridge Program.
Health spending reaches P353.8 billion across the Department of Health, PhilHealth, and specialty hospitals, with P3.8 billion reserved for the Cancer Assistance Fund and P14.5 billion for the Health Facilities Enhancement Program. On the welfare side, the Department of Social Welfare and Development is proposed to receive P241.6 billion, covering P99.1 billion in cash aid for the poorest households and P51.6 billion for the basic and medical needs of 4.2 million indigent senior citizens.
Farming programs are budgeted at P276.6 billion as the government pursues its target of eliminating hunger by 2030, with P16 billion tagged for farm-to-market roads and P1 billion for farm-to-market bridges. Workers’ programs total P47.7 billion, among them P11 billion for the Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers program and P21.2 billion for Technical Education and Skills Development Authority initiatives geared toward emerging industries.
The plan also pushes digital access, allotting P5 billion for the Free Public Internet Access Program, P950 million for the National Government Data Center Infrastructure, and P1.1 billion for the National Broadband Program, whose funding climbs 69.3 percent over the 2026 level.
Marcos cast the proposal as a tool tied to results, telling agencies to track measurable outcomes and to guarantee that “every peso produces meaningful and lasting value.” He described the budget as the country’s “moral and economic compass,” adding that “It must always point toward making life better for our people.” Underpinning the message was his assertion that “Every peso in the proposed FY 2027 National Budget is an investment in the Filipino people and in the nation’s future.”
