By Argyll Geducos
President Marcos has proposed a P7.2‑trillion national budget for 2027, with education and infrastructure emerging as the administration’s biggest spending priorities, alongside significant allocations for healthcare, social protection, agriculture, labor, and digitalization.
Education will receive the largest sector‑specific allocation at P1.314 trillion, including P976 billion for the Department of Education (DepEd).
Funds will cover classroom construction, teacher training, digital learning, scholarships, mental health services, and feeding programs.
The School‑Based Feeding Program is set to get P11.4 billion, while the Basic Education Facilities Program will receive P30.5 billion.
Higher education support includes P61 billion for Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education and P1.6 billion for the Bagong Pilipinas Merit Scholarship Program.
Infrastructure will be the other major focus, with P1.467 trillion earmarked under the Build Better More program.
The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is proposed to receive P644 billion, including P176.6 billion for road network development, P76.5 billion for asset preservation, and P44.4 billion for bridges.
Healthcare allocations amount to P353.8 billion for the Department of Health, PhilHealth, and specialty hospitals.
This includes P3.8 billion for the Cancer Assistance Fund and P14.5 billion for the Health Facilities Enhancement Program.
Social protection programs will receive P241.6 billion, with P99.1 billion for cash aid to the poorest households and P51.6 billion for indigent senior citizens.
Agriculture is set to get P276.6 billion, including P16 billion for farm‑to‑market roads and P1 billion for farm‑to‑market bridges, supporting the administration’s zero‑hunger goal by 2030.
The labor sector will receive P47.7 billion, with P11 billion for the Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers program and P21.2 billion for TESDA initiatives to prepare workers for emerging industries.
Digitalization efforts will be boosted with P5 billion for Free Public Internet Access, P950 million for the National Government Data Center Infrastructure, and P1.1 billion for the National Broadband Program, which will see a 69.3 percent increase from 2026.
President Marcos said the spending plan was designed to make government resources directly responsive to the needs of Filipinos, stressing that “Every peso in the proposed FY 2027 National Budget is an investment in the Filipino people and in the nation’s future.”
