Rising Budol Scheme in National Budget Explained
House Deputy Minority Leader and ACT Teachers Representative Antonio Tinio has highlighted the alarming rise of the “Budol scheme” in the national budget, describing it as worse under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s administration. This four-word keyphrase, “Budol scheme in national budget,” captures a troubling trend that has drawn the attention of lawmakers and watchdogs alike.
During a recent online forum discussing budget deliberations and ongoing corruption inquiries, Tinio detailed the three-step manipulation known locally as “bawas-dagdag-habol.” This process involves the reduction of programmed funds, their transfer to unprogrammed appropriations, and subsequent pursuit through excess revenues. Officials reported that this method inflates unprogrammed funds significantly.
Understanding the Bawas-Dagdag-Habol Process
The first step, “bawas” or reduction, occurs when allocated funds are cut from the programmed budget. Then, “dagdag” or insertion happens by placing these reduced amounts into unprogrammed appropriations. Finally, “habol” or pursuit refers to the retrieval of these funds via excess revenues, effectively circumventing proper budget controls.
Community members noted that this modus operandi explains the dramatic ballooning of unprogrammed appropriations, especially under the current administration. Tinio emphasized, “That is the modus that we call bawas-dagdag-habol which explains why, especially under the Marcos Jr. administration, the unprogrammed appropriations have ballooned.” This correlation is a key indicator of increased Congressional insertions into the budget.
Unprogrammed Appropriations Surge
Data presented by the Makabayan solon shows unprogrammed appropriations rising from over ₱251 billion in 2022 to ₱807 billion in 2023. The figures then slightly decreased to ₱731 billion in 2024 and ₱363 billion in 2025. These numbers starkly contrast with the Duterte administration’s lower unprogrammed amounts, which ranged from ₱67.5 billion in 2016-2017 to ₱216 billion in 2020.
Local leaders remarked on the unusual spike, with Tinio stressing, “During the time of the Marcos Jr. administration, the ballooning of unprogrammed appropriations became rare.” This surge is a red flag signaling potential misuse of budgetary allocations.
Election Budgets and Corruption Concerns
Many have labeled the 2025 budget as the worst in history, but Tinio argued that the 2023 and especially the 2024 budgets are more concerning. He explained, “Maraming nagsasabi, this is the worst, 2025 daw, the worst budget ever. That’s true, it’s pretty bad in many ways. Pero para sa akin, ito nga yung worst: 2023 and especially 2024 because this is actually the election budget, ’yung 2024 budget na ’yan.” Election-year budgets often raise suspicions about the misuse of funds for political advantage.
Government Response and Budget Review
In response, Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin issued a statement on Saturday evening, criticizing some House members for allegedly shifting blame onto the Executive Branch for corruption and budget failures. Meanwhile, Nueva Ecija Representative Mikaela Suansing, chair of the appropriations committee, confirmed that the House leadership has resolved not to return the 2026 National Expenditure Program (NEP) to the Department of Budget and Management (DBM).
Officials reported that the NEP, prepared by the executive branch, serves as the basis for the General Appropriations Bill, which Congress reviews before signing it into law as the national budget. This process remains critical in ensuring transparency and accountability amid rising concerns about budget manipulation.
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