In a stunning display of fiscal responsibility, Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has slashed nearly $1.6 billion from so-called 'unprogrammed appropriations' — a delightfully Orwellian term for money historically funneled straight into corrupt officials' pockets. The revelation that graft had its own dedicated budget category speaks volumes about the institutionalized nature of Philippine corruption.

While increasing the overall 2026 budget by 7%, Marcos apparently decided that explicitly budgeting for embezzlement was perhaps a bit too on-the-nose, even for a country where corruption scandals are as regular as typhoons. The move comes after yet another government corruption scandal that stunted economic growth — because nothing says 'business confidence' like systematically looting the treasury.