May the force be with us.
On this note, Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson stressed that public vigilance on the 2026 budget must not stop at its approval and signing into law but must continue through its implementation.
Lacson said late Saturday that while religious and civil society groups monitored the bicameral debates on the crafting of the budget bill, their next challenge is to guard how the executive branch spends taxpayers’ money in 2026.
“The same vigilance showed by the public led by the Catholic Church, religious groups and civil society organizations must be maintained in watching over the budget’s implementation. Our people must not let down their guard because the 2026 budget will show if there is indeed reform for our government and our nation. We must learn from the lessons of corruption in the budgets of 2025 and prior years,” he said in Filipino and English in an interview on DWIZ radio.
In Filipino: Lacson: Wastong Implementasyon ang Susunod na Malaking Hamon ng 2026 Budget
Lacson also said that while majority of his colleagues in the Senate share his reform-minded mentality, there are only 24 senators.
As such, he said they need the support of the public in flagging wrongdoing in the implementation of the 2026 budget.
“I hope that since there are only 24 of us, we should have the support of many Filipinos. So I will say, may the force be with us,” he said.
Earlier, Lacson said the Senate decided to put in place several general and special provisions to serve as safety nets and safeguards at least in the execution of the 2026 budget measure.
These included absolutely no guarantee letters allowed and any form of ‘epal’ for all ‘ayudas’; Medical Assistance to Indigent and Financially Incapacitated Patients (MAIFIP) should be implemented strictly under the auspices of Universal Health Care program and in pursuit of complying with the UHC law; and a monthly oversight on infra and FMR projects implementation, complete with grid coordinates for easy monitoring by media and the public.
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Lacson: Wastong Implementasyon ang Susunod na Malaking Hamon ng 2026 Budget
May the force be with us.
Iginiit ito ni Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson bilang pagdiin na ang pagbabantay ng publiko sa 2026 budget ay hindi dapat magtapos sa pag-apruba at paglagda nito bilang batas, kundi dapat magpatuloy hanggang sa mismong pagpapatupad nito.
Ani Lacson, bagama’t binantayan ng mga religious at civil society group ang mga pagtalakay sa bicameral conference committee sa pagbuo ng panukalang badyet, ang susunod na hamon ay tiyakin kung paano gagastusin ng ehekutibo ang pera ng taumbayan sa 2026.
“Tulad ng vigilance ng ating mga kababayan sa pangunguna ng Catholic Church at civil society organizations, dapat huwag bumitaw, kasi ang 2026 budget ito ang magiging testament kung may reform bang mangyayari sa ating pamahalaan at sa ating bansa. Kasi may lesson na tayong pinagdaanan sa 2025 budget naungkat pa 2024 and the years before,” ani Lacson sa panayam sa radyo ng DWIZ.
Sinabi rin ni Lacson na bagama’t karamihan sa kanyang mga kasamahan sa Senado ay kapareho niya ng pananaw na para sa reporma, 24 lamang ang mga senador.
Dahil dito, iginiit niyang kailangan nila ang suporta ng publiko sa pagtukoy at pagbubunyag ng mga katiwalian sa pagpapatupad ng 2026 budget.
“I hope kaunti lang kami, e dapat magkaroon tayo ng maraming kasama. Ako na ang magsasalita, may the force be with us,” ani Lacson.
Nauna nang sinabi ni Lacson na nagpasya ang Senado na maglagay ng ilang general at special provisions bilang mga safety net at pananggalang, lalo na sa pagpapatupad ng 2026 budget.
Kabilang dito ang mahigpit na pagbabawal sa anumang guarantee letter at anumang anyo ng ‘epal’ sa lahat ng uri ng ayuda; ang Medical Assistance to Indigent and Financially Incapacitated Patients (MAIFIP) ay dapat ipatupad nang mahigpit sa ilalim ng Universal Health Care (UHC) program at alinsunod sa UHC law; at buwanang oversight sa implementasyon ng mga proyektong imprastraktura at farm-to-market roads (FMR), na may kasamang grid coordinates upang madaling mabantayan ng media at ng publiko.
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Reduced % VAT for the sake of Filipino people.If plenty money in the government they only corrupted by the politicians in the government office the ordinary people only will suffered.l some countries there is no tax they implemented.In the Philippines the tax is very high.