The Philippines’ national mood in 2026 is defined less by optimism or despair than by something more fragile: cautious expectation mixed with deep skepticism. Recent surveys show Filipinos still believe in democratic institutions and collective action, yet many doubt whether public money truly reaches the people it is meant to protect. The newly signed 2026 national budget places that tension front and center.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. signed the ₱6.79 trillion spending plan this week, framing it as a reset after a bruising year marked by corruption revelations and slowing growth. The government expects economic expansion of 5% to 6% this year, below earlier ambitions, reflecting both global uncertainty and domestic credibility shocks. For many Filipinos, however, growth figures matter less than trust.
The Philippines’ National Mood Meets the 2026 Budget
Polling by Social Weather Stations and Pulse Asia over the past year has consistently pointed to three dominant public concerns: rising prices, vulnerability to disasters, and corruption in large infrastructure projects. The 2026 budget appears designed as a direct response to that mood.
Education again receives the largest share, at ₱1.3 trillion, reinforcing its role as the country’s long-term social equalizer. Healthcare allocations hit a record ₱448 billion, reflecting pandemic lessons and persistent anxiety over medical costs. Agriculture, often overlooked in past cycles, gets nearly ₱300 billion to shore up food security and stabilize prices. These choices suggest a government trying to reassure households first, rather than chase headline megaprojects.
Yet the most politically charged signal lies in what was cut.
The Department of Public Works and Highways, long one of the biggest budget winners, saw its allocation slashed to ₱530 billion from a proposed ₱881 billion. That decision cannot be separated from last year’s flood-control corruption scandal, which exposed billions of pesos lost to substandard or even non-existent projects.
Marcos’ pledge to keep “unprogrammed appropriations” to a minimum, and to bar political figures from distributing cash aid, speaks directly to voter frustration with discretionary spending and patronage politics. Whether these safeguards hold will shape how Filipinos judge the budget’s sincerity.
Trust, Fatigue, and Democratic Resilience
Despite repeated scandals, surveys still show that Filipinos broadly support democratic governance. According to the Economist Intelligence Unit, the Philippines continues to rank above many Asian peers on electoral participation and civil freedoms, even as satisfaction with political actors declines. This gap between faith in democracy and distrust of politicians defines the Philippines’ national mood today.
The 2026 budget does not promise a dramatic turnaround. Instead, it offers restraint, rebalancing, and a public bet on accountability. For a population weary of grand promises, that may be intentional. Filipinos are watching less for rhetoric than for results: whether classrooms improve, hospitals cope, farms stabilize prices, and flood projects finally work.
In 2026, public trust will not be rebuilt by speeches. It will be rebuilt peso by peso.
