A self-taught carpenter, 47-year-old Mang Jonel Magpantay earns P800 (US$14) for every day he works. While this is slightly higher than the P610 minimum wage level in the Philippines’ capital Manila, he is far from making a good living.
“If I’m not hired for a home construction project, I don’t get anything,” he said, adding that every month, he is lucky to work at least 10 days. On the days that he is not working, he volunteers as a community peacekeeper for which he gets a stipend of P150 a day.
“At my age, it’s hard to get a steady job like in a factory,” he said.
Mang Jonel admitted that his biggest worry is falling sick or that any member of his immediate family needs to be hospitalized.
“I honestly do not know where we will get the money for hospital bills. It’s already a serious challenge to scrape up money for monthly rent and electricity and water payments. We do not have savings, and we certainly do not have money for health emergencies. Even going to public hospitals cost an arm and a leg these days what with the medicines and the tests,” he said.
As ordinary Filipinos like Mang Jonel grapple with daily economic challenges, a pressing question emerges: how is the government using public funds?
“I don’t know anything about that. All I know is that times are always tough and everything is so expensive,” Mang Jonel said.
Cut in public services in proposed 2025 budget
Anti-corruption groups have scrutinized the proposed P6.352 trillion budget for 2025, and they said their findings are cause for either outrage or dismay.
The chairperson of the progressive political party Bayan Muna (People First), Atty. Neri Colmenares, said the Marcos Jr administration’s 2025 budget is by all appearances “dangerous”.
“We see many that can be used as pork barrel: money can be sued for the upcoming elections next May 2025; it can be used to bribe contractors, administration allies, as well as ranking officials,” he said. Pork barrel is a metaphor for the appropriation of government spending for localized projects secured solely or primarily to direct expenditures to a representative’s district.
In a message presenting the 2025 budget proposal to the House of Representatives, President Marcos Jr said the budget’s priority expenditures are aimed toward the achievement of the Philippine Development Plan 2023 to 2028 and anchored on the theme “Agenda for Prosperity: Fulfilling the Needs and Aspirations of the Filipino people”.
“We are one in our dream to build a ‘Bagong Pilipinas’ where we enjoy the opportunities of a modern, vibrant, and peaceful country,” Marcos said.
However, the proposed budget gave the least priority to social services for ordinary, working-class Filipinos who comprise the majority of the population.
Agriculture is one of the sectors that faces budget reductions in 2025. Allocations for farmers and agricultural support, such as irrigation systems, will be cut by P10.4 billion, from the current P221.7 billion to P211.3 billion.
Allocations for public health services are also being reduced by P10.7 billion, from P308.3 billion to P297.6 billion. The biggest impact will be felt by the medical assistance to impoverished patients of public hospitals, which will be cut by half to P26.9 billion from P58.1 billion.
Public specialty hospitals that cater to the needs of the poor will have to make do with reduced funds, including the Philippine Children’s Medical Center (P558.4 million cut), the Philippine Heart Center (P197.9 million cut), and the National Kidney and Transplant Institute (P139.2 million cut).
The Philippine Nursing Students Association pointed out the proposed budget for the Department of Health is pegged at P321.8 billion, which is 3.3 percent of the total national budget and 1.04 percent of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP).
“This is still significantly below the World Health Organization’s recommended five percent of GDP for health spending. Adequate funding is essential for providing accessible and high-quality healthcare services to all Filipinos. We call for a health budget that genuinely and sufficiently meets the needs of the Filipino people, and government transparency in allocating this budget,” the association said.
Other agencies that provide social services to Filipinos will also be suffering slashed budgets, including the Department of Social Welfare and Development (P18 billion cut), Department of Migrant Workers (P1.8 billion cut) and Department of Labor and Employment (P14.4 billion cut).
“How else can we interpret these budget cuts but as the government’s lack of concern for the welfare of workers, including overseas Filipino workers (OFWs). Agency budgets are meant to be used to protect and promote their welfare, but now they will be getting even less,” said Colmenares, chairperson of People First party. He added that instead of ensuring the prosperity of Filipinos, the proposed 2025 budget will bring more Filipinos closer to poverty.
“When you cut provisions that are meant to ease the financial burdens of Filipinos, you can’t expect prosperity to follow but the opposite.”
Activists for increase of health budget. Photo credit: Health Alliance for Democracy.
Infrastructure projects
Colmenares said despite Marcos Jr’s assertions that the 2025 budget is meant to alleviate poverty, the focus is on building physical infrastructure and not public services. Allocations for infrastructure projects are at P1.5 trillion in 2025, including P256.5 billion for flood control.
The Department of Transportation will be getting P180.9 billion. This is higher by P107 billion compared to P73.9 billion this year.
“Many of these infrastructure projects will be funded by loans. Given this, a large chuck of the proposed budget will also be going to debt servicing,” he said.
On the whole, the Philippines’ debts will amount to P17.35 trillion by the end of 2025.
Increasing debt service allotment indicated the government’s over-dependence on debt, giving international funding institutions and their business partners more control over the Philippine economy through pro-foreign, anti-development economic policies.
Compared to previous administrations, Marcos Jr’s is the biggest borrower, with P204.719 billion monthly gross borrowings in the past 23 months, compared to former presidents Rodrigo Duterte’s P130.677 billion, Benigno Aquino’s P61.455 billion, and Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s P45.185 billion.
Colmenares said increased allocations for infrastructure projects are often very suspicious because, as revealed in exposes in previous years, the funds are often diverted towards the electoral ambitions of politicians and executives planning to run for elected office.
“Politicians traditionally resort to building roads and bridges and flaunt them like they were the ones who actually funded the projects. This is in preparation for their actual campaigning when the election period starts,” he said.
This, he pointed out, is the modus operandi of the administration as it released billions to its allied congressional representatives, senators, mayors, and governors for infrastructure projects.
An activists urged more transparency for use of confidential and intelligence funds. Photo credit: Health Alliance for Democracy.
Flood control projects
In his State of the Nation Address in July, Marcos Jr gave emphasis to his administration’s flood control projects. From 2022 up to 2025, there will be nine flood control projects, with foreign loans amounting to P25.18 billion, of which the Japan International Cooperation Agency will fund four flood control projects.
From 2022 to 2025, the Philippines also borrowed from the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, part of the World Bank, to the tune of P9.43 billion.
The Metro Manila Flood Management Project Phase 1 is the biggest and the most expensive, which is estimated to cost P352 billion.
In the 2025 budget proposal, allocations for the construction, maintenance, and rehabilitation of the 1,903 flood-control infrastructure will reach P256.5 billion.
Confidential and intelligence funds
The Health Alliance for Democracy (HEAD) said the budget cuts revealed Marcos Jr’s priorities.
“The president’s priority is more money for himself and his cronies, debt servicing, and police and military operations to suppress the people’s legitimate dissent, and satiate his generals’ greed,” HEAD’s secretary general Albert Pascual said.
P10.29 billion is allotted to Confidential and Intelligence Funds for 2025, with P4.37 billion for confidential funds and P5.92 for intelligence funds. The National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC)’s budget for Barangay Development Fund will be increased from P2.1 billion to P7.8 billion.
According to the independent think tank na Ibon Foundation, specific large segments of the national budget can be considered as “presidential pork barrel” or funds directly managed and can be utilized at the whim of the president.
Activists said the Office of the President can use the Special Purpose Funds (SPFs), which amounted to P1.89 trillion, at its discretion without having to explain in detail the purpose of their utilization. Under the SPFs are funds for the general categories of local governance, calamity funds, and contingency funds.
Activists also questioned the unprogrammed appropriations (UA), items on the budget that are listed with equivalent funding but have no defined sources, which were under fire because a large segment came from the budget of the PhilHealth, the agency managing the National Health Insurance Program which caters to public health needs of Filipinos. In 2025, allocations for UA will amount to P158.6 billion.
Subsidies for PhilHealth increased from P61.51 billion to P74.43 billion despite P89.98 billion “excess funds” being removed from it by the Department of Finance and the existing P500 billions reserve fund it still has.
“This big centralized fund in PhilHealth is always the subject of anomalies and irregularities while the poor Filipino members are suffering from inadequate PhilHealth benefits and high out of pocket payments. Instead of allotting this much to Philhealth, government should directly fund public health facilities nationwide,” said HEAD’s secretary general Pascual.
The Makabayan Coalition also pointed out that the rules governing the utilization of the UA are very loose and because of this, no one can be sure if only P158.6 billion will be spent in 2025.
“This is what happened last year when the UA was arbitrarily increased by P449.5 billion when the administration requested it from congress,” Colmenares said.
Under the UA, there is another questionable item, the Strengthening Assistance for Government Infrastructure and Social Programs amounting to P78.4 billion being earmarked for infrastructure and as yet unnamed “social program”. The Makabayan Coalition is concerned the funds will be another form of pork barrel.
Activists outside the House of Representatives. Photo credit: Kilusang Mayo Uno
Control over National Budget
Every year, anti-corruption watchdogs and activists for good governance issue the call to ensure that no single official or group has unchecked power over the national budget and public funds. They argue that when a few individuals or groups wield disproportionate influence over financial resources, it becomes a breeding ground for corruption and mismanagement. This concentration of power not only threatens democratic processes but also deepens social inequality.
Sonny Africa, economist and executive director of think tank IBON Foundation, said the biggest victims of such practices are the poor, who are denied essential services like healthcare, housing, and education as funds are diverted or misused for personal gain or political agendas.
“When money that should be allocated for social programs is instead controlled by a select few, it leaves those most in need without the support and opportunities to improve their quality of life.
“What happens is the country’s overall progress and development is undermined. National resources are squandered on inefficient or unnecessary projects, slowing economic growth, fostering public distrust in government institutions, and hindering the nation’s ability to compete globally.
“Ensuring transparency, accountability, and democratic oversight of the national budget is not just about stopping corruption — it’s about building a better future for all citizens, especially the most vulnerable.”
As the national budget deliberations continue in congress and senate, transparency remains elusive, with government executives refusing to provide detailed accounts of how their offices and agencies allocate and utilize these substantial funds. This lack of openness not only fuels public distrust but also raises critical concerns about the true priorities of those in power.
As Filipino taxpayers seek accountability, the uneven distribution of financial resources underscores a growing disconnect between governmental actions and the everyday struggles of ordinary Filipinos.
Top photo credit: Health Alliance for Democracy. Activists for comprehensive public health programs.
