Lacson Pushes Budget Reforms to Ensure Transparency, Alignment, Realistic Execution

Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson on Tuesday renewed his push for reforms that would enhance transparency in government spending, alignment between the national government and local government units (LGUs), and flexibility for implementing projects, activities, and programs.

At the Senate finance committee’s hearing, Lacson raised major concerns that include the “disappearance” of the Unified Accounts Code Structure (UACS), the need to synchronize local development councils’ outputs with national budget calls, and limitations on unprogrammed appropriations.

Lacson, a watchdog of the national budget, pushed for the strict implementation of the UACS system used to track the projects for funding in the budget bill, noting that the UACS would disappear once the National Expenditure Program (NEP) is transformed into the House and Senate versions or authorization phase of the budget cycle – then reappear on the Department of Budget and Management (DBM)’s website during implementation of the General Appropriations Act (GAA).

In Filipino: Lacson, Itinulak ang Reporma sa Badyet para sa Transparency, Pagkakaugnay, at Realistic na Pagpapatupad

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Lacson Welcomes Veto of Non-Essential Allocations, Prohibition on Political Involvement in ‘Ayuda’ in 2026 Budget

Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson welcomed on Monday President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s veto of non-essential funds under the unprogrammed appropriations – as well as the prohibition of political involvement in the distribution of “ayuda” – in the newly signed Republic Act 12314, the national budget for 2026.

Lacson noted two of the items that survived the veto – the government support to foreign-assisted projects and the revised Armed Forces of the Philippines Modernization Program – are needed for economic development and national security.

During deliberations on the then budget bill last December, Lacson pushed for the trimming of the unprogrammed allocations to include only funds for legitimate items such as foreign-assisted projects and the AFP modernization program.

“P150.905 billion is the exact amount that survived the veto, of which, P97.3 billion for Government Support to Foreign-Assisted Projects, P3.6 billion for Program on Risk Management, and P50 billion for the revised AFP Modernization Program. All other seven items under UA were vetoed,” Lacson said.

“We need the government support to Foreign Assisted Projects and the Revised AFP Modernization Program as our commitments to our economic development and national security,” he added.

In Filipino: Lacson, Ikinatuwa ang Pag-Veto sa Di-Mahahalagang Alokasyon at Pagbawal sa Pag-Epal sa ‘Ayuda’ sa 2026 Budget

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