The Marcos Cabinet has begun reviewing the government’s 2026 budget utilization while simultaneously setting priority spending directions for 2027, in a move aimed at improving program implementation and accelerating public service delivery.
Executive Secretary Ralph Recto said the review covers the current year’s spending performance to identify programs that need to be fast-tracked or adjusted, while also aligning next year’s proposed funding priorities.
“We need to closely track the execution of the 2026 budget and finalize the 2027 national budget,” Recto said during a Cabinet meeting in Malacañang on Monday. “Let us get our act together and ensure that our programs and projects are delivered faster in the second half of the year.”
Recto said the exercise follows President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s directive to strengthen budget monitoring, address implementation delays, and ensure efficient use of public funds.
Among the programs reviewed were government interventions under the Unified Package for Livelihoods, Industry, Food, and Transport (UPLIFT), designed to cushion the impact of global and regional economic pressures, including the Middle East crisis.
The UPLIFT initiative includes financial assistance, fuel subsidies, and transport-related support for public utility vehicle drivers and operators, implemented through agencies such as the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Department of Transportation (DOTr), and Department of Energy (DOE).
Senior officials present during the meeting included Budget Secretary Kim de Leon, Economy, Planning, and Development Secretary Arsenio Balisacan, Energy Secretary Sharon Garin, Transportation Secretary Giovanni Lopez, Education Secretary Sonny Angara, and Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa, along with representatives from the DSWD and Department of Agriculture.
The government said the continued review aims to ensure timely implementation of programs while shaping a more responsive and results-oriented budget framework for 2027.