Progressive groups held a protest on December 29 in front of Congress in Quezon City to oppose the ratification of the 2026 budget passed by the bicameral conference committee.

“It contains allocations for pork barrel, unprogrammed appropriations, confidential funds, and large infrastructure spending, which it claims were inserted through alleged coordination between Congress and Malacañang,” Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) stated. The group called the budget a “pork reenacted budget” with new labels.

“While ordinary Filipinos suffer from high prices, job insecurity, climate disasters, and crumbling social services, the political elite has ensured that the machinery for plunder and patronage remains fully funded,” it said.

The youth also oppose the proposed budget. They condemned the Marcos regime for allocating funds for fascism and attacks on the people instead of education and other social services.

“Instead of increasing the budget for education, it is being allocated as funds for fascist attacks on communities,” Panday Sining said.

“Amid the theatrics of transparency and openness, the budget for fascism and the pork of legislators remains enormous,” Kabataan Partylist said. Kabataan rejected a budget that “does not respond to the real needs of every Filipino.”

The Student Christian Movement of the Philippines also joined the protest, opposing the “juicy and huge pork barrels, the extremely large budget for the unprogrammed fund of the President, and the fascist NTF-ELCAC.”

The Alliance of Concerned Teachers also joined the protest action. The group called for funds for higher salaries and education, not for corruption.