Manila: President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Tuesday received the 2026 National Expenditure Program (NEP) in a ceremony at Malaca±an Palace in Manila. Department of Budget and Management (DBM) Secretary Amenah Pangandaman handed over the 2026 NEP to Marcos, based on a video posted on the Facebook account of DBM Undersecretary Goddes Hope Libiran.

According to Philippines News Agency, in another Facebook post, Libiran said Marcos was impressed by the English and Filipino versions of the President’s Budget Message for the proposed national budget for 2026. “Good!” was the comment given by President Bongbong Marcos, she said. “And as transparency champion, Sec. Mina assured the President that the public will have access to the PBM (President’s Budget Message).”

The DBM stated that the 2026 NEP will be transmitted to Congress on Thursday. On July 15, Marcos approved the proposed PHP6.793-trillion budget for 2026, marking the country’s highest budget to date. The 2026 NEP is anchored on the theme, “Agenda for Prosperity: Nurturing Future-Ready Generations to Achieve the Full Potential of the Nation,” and seeks to build on the foundations laid over the past three years of the Marcos administration.

The NEP is the national government’s proposed budget for the next fiscal year and serves as the basis for Congress in crafting the General Appropriations Bill, which then becomes the General Appropriations Act once signed into law by the President. The spending plan includes the planned government expenditure for the forthcoming fiscal year, as well as the allocated funds for different programs and initiatives.

In alignment with the Philippine Development Plan (PDP) 2023-2028, the 2026 NEP will prioritize key programs in education, infrastructure, digitalization, health, and social services.