Risa Hontiveros bares possible red flags in proposed 2027 budget

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Senator Risa Hontiveros on Friday identified possible budget items that could raise red flags during the Senate's deliberations on the proposed 2027 national budget.

Hontiveros said she would push for sufficient funding for the full implementation of universal healthcare through the Department of Health (DOH) and the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth).

“Ang magiging red flag sa ganitong mga budgets ay kung babawasan halimbawa 'yung budget ng DOH para sa immunization o di kaya para sa patuloy na pagbuo ng health facilities system dito sa ating bansa,” she told GMA News’ Unang Balita in an interview.

(What would be a red flag in these budgets is if the DOH budget for immunization or for the continued development of the health facilities system here in our country is reduced.)

Hontiveros also warned against removing the government's counterpart funding for foreign-assisted projects.

She recalled that such funding had previously been removed and transferred to unprogrammed appropriations, calling it “problematic.”

The senator said the government should avoid repeating previous budget allocation errors amid ongoing investigations into alleged irregularities in flood control projects.

Hontiveros, who is sponsoring the budgets of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), also said she would push for adequate funding for their programs.

“Isusulong ko talaga na maging Super El Niño-ready at responsive ang DENR budget. At gayundin para sa DSWD budget na masuportahan 'yung mga magagandang programa nila tulad ng LAWA at BINHI na isang programa na parehong tungkol sa water development at conservation at livelihood din,” she said.

(I will really push for the DENR budget to be Super El Niño-ready and responsive. And the same goes for the DSWD budget to support their great programs like LAWA and BINHI, which are programs that are both about water development and conservation and livelihood as well.)

Meanwhile, Hontiveros said the Senate had so far identified around P7 billion worth of budget line items, programs, activities, and projects that lacked sufficient supporting documents or justification.

These included items without a program of works, letters of request, resolutions, ordinances, or approval from local development councils.

She said senators were committed to continuing budget reforms, including opening budget hearings to civil society groups and allowing greater public participation in the budget process.—AOL, GMA News