Article by:
Darryl John Esguerra
MANILA – The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) on Tuesday denied allegations that it is delaying the release of funds for public works projects, saying all budget releases strictly follow the provisions of the 2026 General Appropriations Act (GAA) and related safeguards.
In a statement, the DBM said it does not arbitrarily withhold funding and only processes releases in accordance with the law passed by Congress and approved by the President.
“First, the DBM does not arbitrarily delay the release of funds, nor does it create policies outside the law. All budget releases are governed strictly by the 2026 General Appropriations Act (GAA)—a law passed by Congress itself and approved by the President,” the department said.
The DBM issued the clarification following statements from some lawmakers claiming delays in funding for locally funded infrastructure projects under the Department of Public Works and Highways.
According to the DBM, several of these projects were modified during the legislative process through Congress Introduced Changes and Adjustments, which altered project descriptions, station limits, or geographic coordinates compared with the original proposals in the National Expenditure Program submitted by the Executive branch.
Because of these amendments, the projects require additional validation and clearance before funds can be released.
“As provided in the President’s Veto Message for the FY 2026 GAA, such Congress Introduced Changes and Adjustments (CICA) require additional validation and clearance from the Office of the President prior to the release of funds,” the DBM said.
Projects with these modifications were placed under For Issuance of Special Allotment Release Order (FISARO), meaning implementing agencies must submit the required documentation and prioritization requests before the DBM can issue a Special Allotment Release Order (SARO).
The DBM also clarified that it does not require projects to be bid out first before deciding on funding releases.
Instead, agencies are advised to undertake early procurement activities short of award for projects included in the NEP to speed up implementation once funding becomes available.
The department added that it cannot release funds unless the implementing agency formally requests them.
“Budget releases are triggered by official requests from implementing agencies, not by unilateral action on the part of DBM,” it said.
The DBM stressed that its role is to ensure that public funds are released legally and in accordance with the national budget.
“The DBM does not delay projects. It only ensures that public funds are released lawfully and in accordance with the budget approved by Congress and signed by the President,” it said. (PNA)
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