Tag: public spending
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Marcos Signs P6.793 Trillion 2026 Budget, Vetoes Unprogrammed Funds
Marcos Signs P6.793 Trillion 2026 Budget, Puts Guardrails on Unprogrammed Funds President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. formally signed the P6.793 trillion national budget for 2026, signaling a bid to tighten fiscal controls after last year’s hotly debated spending. The administration marked the signing as a milestone in curbing wasteful allocations while sustaining essential public services…
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Marcos Signs P6.793 Trillion 2026 Budget, Vetoes P92.5 Billion Unprogrammed Funds
Overview: A Big Budget with Guardrails President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has signed the national budget for 2026 totaling P6.793 trillion, signaling a renewed commitment to tighter control over state funds after criticism of last year’s spending. The signing comes with a set of guardrails designed to prevent funds from slipping into unprogrammed or non-essential programs…
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Education Gets P1.35 Trillion Budget — A Milestone for Philippine Schools
Record Education Budget Highlights a Ambitious Year for Philippine Schools The signing of the 2026 national budget has put education at the forefront of the Philippines’ fiscal priorities. Education Secretary Sonny Angara announced that the government allocated a record P1.35 trillion to the education sector, constituting about 4.4 percent of the country’s gross domestic product…
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Watchdogs urge Marcos to act on P633 billion pork items in 2026 budget
Capitalizing on a snarl of pork barrel concerns The call comes as budget watchdogs demand decisive action from President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. over an alarming portion of the proposed P6.793-trillion national budget for 2026. According to watchdog groups, about P633 billion worth of line items could be vulnerable to corruption or misclassification, risking ineffectiveness and…
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Lawmakers’ ‘Break Bonus’: Tiangco Reveals Millions in House Allowances During Breaks
What Rep. Tiangco alleges about the House’s break-time perks Navotas Representative Toby Tiangco has raised a provocative issue about the financial incentives lawmakers receive when the House of Representatives goes on recess. At the heart of his claim is a recurring practice whereby members allegedly receive substantial sums labeled as an “allowance” or similar payment…
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Unsealed Cabinet Records Reveal NT Government’s Push for More Poker Machines in 1995
New light on a pivotal year for the Northern Territory Freshly unsealed cabinet records from 1995 shed light on the internal discussions that helped spark a rapid expansion of poker machines across the Northern Territory. The documents, released from archival safekeeping, reveal how policymakers weighed economic benefits against social and ethical considerations during a period…
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P2 Million Christmas Bonus for Congress Members? What’s Really Happening with the 2026 Budget
Scope of the Discussion: P2 Million Per Congress Member? The Philippine Congress could be poised to distribute a per-member amount estimated at P2 million as a “Christmas bonus” as the 2026 General Appropriations Bill (GAB) is signed into law. Reports indicate that the amount could go to all 318 lawmakers, including party-list representatives. The proposition…
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Japan’s Record Budget: Aiming for Growth while Containing Debt
Japan Signals Ambitious Fiscal Strategy with Record Budget Japan’s cabinet, led by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, approved a record 117 trillion yen (roughly $785 billion) budget for the upcoming fiscal year on December 25, 2025. The move underscores Tokyo’s intent to steer a delicate path: sustaining proactive fiscal policy to bolster growth while keeping debt…
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UK Government Influencer Spending: A Closer Look at the 2024-2025 Campaigns
Overview: A Trend in Government Communications In recent years, government communication strategies have increasingly leaned on social media to reach diverse audiences. New data suggests that the UK government has spent more than £1 million on influencer partnerships since 2024. The initiative covers campaigns on a range of issues, from environmental policy to welfare reforms,…
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Rachel Reeves’s high-stakes autumn budget in five key charts
Overview: a turning point for the UK economy The autumn budget is shaping up as a pivotal moment for the UK’s economic strategy. As chancellor, Rachel Reeves faces a landscape of inflation, public spending pressures, and a need for growth. Rather than delivering a single policy shock, her approach is increasingly framed around a handful…