Senate to Cut Nonessential Spending to Fund El Niño Measures in ₱7.2-Trillion Budget
2027 BUDGET EL NIÑO – The Senate is reshaping the proposed ₱7.2-trillion national budget for 2027 to prepare for a strong El Niño, Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian said on Thursday, October 29, 2026.
“Itong 2027 budget, we are tilting it to El Niño. So maraming items ’yan will be El Niño response,” Gatchalian said on the sidelines of the Federation of Philippine Industries Business Summit.
He said senators are prioritizing measures to cushion agriculture, food security and prices from the dry spell. The chamber is still consolidating proposed interventions, and the total amount has yet to be set.
Gatchalian described El Niño as one of the biggest potential external shocks to the economy, warning that threats to farm output could push food prices up. He said a state of calamity or emergency could be declared if conditions call for it, and that the budget should already carry funds for the government’s response.
To make room, the Senate is going over agency spending, including travel and seminars. “May mga items na hindi naman kailangan, pwedeng bawasan, babawasan namin,” he said.
He admitted the Senate has less room this time than in the previous budget cycle, when the removal of flood-control allocations freed up about ₱250 billion for other uses.
Senators are also studying whether to restore funds for foreign-assisted projects, especially in transportation. Gatchalian backed funding for the EDSA Busway, saying such projects should not be dropped without enough justification. He added that proposed amendments must be properly supported, and that infrastructure items should carry technical descriptions to prove they are needed and ready.
The push comes as the Department of Agriculture reported ₱8.57 billion in farm damage from El Niño as of October 21, affecting more than 288,000 farmers and over 291,000 hectares across 14 regions. It also comes as the Senate moves past a 28-day leadership impasse and prepares for the resumption of Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial on November 9.