Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. signed the 2026 national budget later than any of his predecessors, after spending an unusually long period scrutinising the document's contents — scrutiny prompted by a flood-control corruption scandal that had already eroded his approval ratings to uncomfortable lows. To demonstrate seriousness, Marcos wielded his veto powers to cut so-called unprogrammed appropriations — discretionary budget allocations widely known as a mechanism for directing public funds to politically favoured projects — to their lowest level in seven years.

These back-door budget lines had attracted particular attention following revelations that funds nominally designated for flood management infrastructure were allegedly siphoned into other purposes. The Philippines has no shortage of floods, making the alleged diversion both financially significant and existentially reckless.

At a signing ceremony attended by cabinet officials and legislators inside the presidential palace, Marcos addressed citizens who he acknowledged had serious doubts about whether their tax contributions were going where they were told. The statement was notable primarily for its acknowledgement that such doubts exist — a lower bar than solving the underlying problem, but a start. His popularity, according to polling conducted before the ceremony, had declined measurably since the corruption investigations began. The budget is now signed. The floods remain annual.