THE Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has started consulting with heads of government agencies in conducting the budget call forum for 2026.
The forum, held at the Philippine International Convention Center in Pasay City, kicks off the preparatory stage for drafting the National Expenditure Program, the DBM said in a statement on Monday.
“The budget call and preparation stage is now officially open. So I hope, you will, in your own departments and agencies, find time to sit down with your technical staff and make sure that once you propose (your budgets)… to have the corresponding submissions and requirements,” Budget Secretary Amenah F. Pangandaman said.
The budget call contains the parameters and procedures that guide agencies in preparing their proposed budgets, the DBM said.
The DBM will also implement the Program Convergence Budgeting (PCB) approach in the preparation of the proposed national budget for 2026.
PCB aims to focus government resources on key programs and projects coordinated across departments.
“It’s quite an addition because it will also be part of our budget process. Dati po, hindi ‘yan inuupuan, nagsa-submit lang and then inililista — para lang po s’yang wishlist (It never used to be discussed, just submitted like a wishlist). But now, it will be part of the budget process,” she said.
National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Secretary Arsenio M. Balisacan said this approach will promote the effective allocation of fiscal resources.
He said about 5,000 programs, activities, projects (PAPs) are registered each year in the NEDA Public Investment Program (PIP) system.
“Given the sheer number of PAPs that are prepared by various agencies, as well as coordination and information constraints that all agencies confront, it is inevitable that there will be overlaps, duplication, or gaps, even as each agency aligns their proposals with the PDP (Philippine Development Plan) objectives. The PCB approach seeks to mitigate this.” — Aubrey Rose A. Inosante