President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Tuesday received the 2026 National Expenditure Program (NEP) in a ceremony at Malacañan 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.

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!’ This 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 said the 2026 NEP will be transmitted to Congress on Thursday.

On July 15, Marcos approved the proposed PHP6.793-trillion budget for 2026, the country’s highest to date.

The 2026 NEP, anchored on the theme, “Agenda for Prosperity: Nurturing Future-Ready Generations to Achieve the Full Potential of the Nation,” will build on the solid 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 of 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 succeeding fiscal year, as well as the allocated funds for different programs and initiatives.

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