Panfilo Lacson has announced that the Senate of the Philippines will remove roughly ₱42 billion allocated for “ayuda” (social assistance) from the 2026 national budget.
Lacson said the funding was tucked into the “unprogrammed appropriations” by the House of Representatives of the Philippines and thus lacks clear programming or specific projects. “The House left some ₱42 billion in the unprogrammed appropriations for ayuda, and we will remove it,” he stated.
He described the move as part of the Senate’s push for greater accountability and transparency in the budget process. By eliminating unprogrammed funds, the Senate aims to ensure that public money is clearly earmarked for tangible and planned programs rather than sitting vaguely under “unprogrammed” items.