[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"i-heroicons:chat-bubble-left-right":3,"categories":8,"i-heroicons:chevron-down":57,"i-heroicons:magnifying-glass":59,"i-lucide:moon":61,"i-lucide:sun":63,"i-heroicons:user-circle":65,"i-heroicons:bars-3":67,"footer-categories":69,"i-heroicons:rss":78,"article-august-2026-budget-deficit-p161-3-billion-september-2026":80,"article-related-august-2026-budget-deficit-p161-3-billion-september-2026":112,"i-heroicons:home":144,"i-heroicons:chevron-right":146,"i-heroicons:calendar":148,"i-heroicons:clock":150,"i-simple-icons:facebook":152,"i-simple-icons:x":154,"i-simple-icons:linkedin":156,"i-simple-icons:whatsapp":159,"i-heroicons:link":161},{"left":4,"top":4,"width":5,"height":5,"rotate":4,"vFlip":6,"hFlip":6,"body":7},0,24,false,"\u003Cpath fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\" stroke-width=\"1.5\" d=\"M20.25 8.511c.884.284 1.5 1.128 1.5 2.097v4.286c0 1.136-.847 2.1-1.98 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government","2025-12-10T17:10:42.106866Z",{"id":22,"name":23,"slug":24,"description":25,"created_at":26,"updated_at":26},"ec735825-d1b2-4956-af88-07bc895af11b","Judiciary","judiciary","Supreme Court decisions, legal cases involving public officials, and justice system developments","2025-12-10T17:10:42.110026Z",{"id":28,"name":29,"slug":30,"description":31,"created_at":32,"updated_at":32},"e1ed44e2-637c-45ba-b7b8-471653490f41","Legislative","legislative","Bills, laws, committee hearings, and proceedings from the Senate and House of Representatives","2025-12-10T17:10:42.108465Z",{"id":34,"name":35,"slug":36,"description":37,"created_at":38,"updated_at":38},"987d90cc-177c-43bb-86d2-ce61f0968859","Local Government","local-government","News from provinces, cities, municipalities, and barangays including LGU programs, local ordinances, and regional development initiatives","2025-12-10T17:10:42.100342Z",{"id":40,"name":41,"slug":42,"description":43,"created_at":44,"updated_at":44},"36b2ea04-5b7f-4e75-bbf3-6a238e50600c","National Politics","national-politics","Coverage of Malacañang, Congress, and national government affairs including executive orders, legislative proceedings, and inter-agency coordination","2025-12-10T17:10:42.096683Z",{"id":46,"name":47,"slug":48,"description":49,"created_at":50,"updated_at":50},"00d0b27c-faad-413b-ab22-1a345c36b651","Opinion","opinion","Editorial commentary, expert analysis, and diverse perspectives on Philippine political issues and governance","2025-12-10T17:10:42.105211Z",{"id":52,"name":53,"slug":54,"description":55,"created_at":56,"updated_at":56},"27e70b57-ded6-4da9-a494-78d8a4d600e1","Policy","policy","Analysis of government policies, programs, and reforms including economic measures, social welfare initiatives, and regulatory changes","2025-12-10T17:10:42.103552Z",{"left":4,"top":4,"width":5,"height":5,"rotate":4,"vFlip":6,"hFlip":6,"body":58},"\u003Cpath fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\" stroke-width=\"1.5\" d=\"m19.5 8.25l-7.5 7.5l-7.5-7.5\"/>",{"left":4,"top":4,"width":5,"height":5,"rotate":4,"vFlip":6,"hFlip":6,"body":60},"\u003Cpath fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\" stroke-width=\"1.5\" d=\"m21 21l-5.197-5.197m0 0A7.5 7.5 0 1 0 5.196 5.196a7.5 7.5 0 0 0 10.607 10.607\"/>",{"left":4,"top":4,"width":5,"height":5,"rotate":4,"vFlip":6,"hFlip":6,"body":62},"\u003Cpath fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\" stroke-width=\"2\" d=\"M20.985 12.486a9 9 0 1 1-9.473-9.472c.405-.022.617.46.402.803a6 6 0 0 0 8.268 8.268c.344-.215.825-.004.803.401\"/>",{"left":4,"top":4,"width":5,"height":5,"rotate":4,"vFlip":6,"hFlip":6,"body":64},"\u003Cg fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\" stroke-width=\"2\">\u003Ccircle cx=\"12\" cy=\"12\" r=\"4\"/>\u003Cpath d=\"M12 2v2m0 16v2M4.93 4.93l1.41 1.41m11.32 11.32l1.41 1.41M2 12h2m16 0h2M6.34 17.66l-1.41 1.41M19.07 4.93l-1.41 1.41\"/>\u003C/g>",{"left":4,"top":4,"width":5,"height":5,"rotate":4,"vFlip":6,"hFlip":6,"body":66},"\u003Cpath fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\" stroke-width=\"1.5\" d=\"M17.982 18.725A7.49 7.49 0 0 0 12 15.75a7.49 7.49 0 0 0-5.982 2.975m11.964 0a9 9 0 1 0-11.963 0m11.962 0A8.97 8.97 0 0 1 12 21a8.97 8.97 0 0 1-5.982-2.275M15 9.75a3 3 0 1 1-6 0a3 3 0 0 1 6 0\"/>",{"left":4,"top":4,"width":5,"height":5,"rotate":4,"vFlip":6,"hFlip":6,"body":68},"\u003Cpath fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\" stroke-width=\"1.5\" d=\"M3.75 6.75h16.5M3.75 12h16.5m-16.5 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0a.75.75 0 0 1 1.5 0\"/>",{"id":81,"slug":82,"title":83,"summary":84,"content":85,"category_id":52,"status":86,"view_count":4,"published_at":87,"created_at":88,"updated_at":88,"category":89,"tags":91},"d58a7573-9612-4bcd-996b-4b761066efc0","august-2026-budget-deficit-p161-3-billion-september-2026","Government's August Deficit Nearly Doubles to ₱161.3 Billion as Spending Jumps 16% and Non-Tax Revenue Craters","Eight months into 2026, the national budget gap has widened to ₱1.05 trillion — up 21% year-on-year — pulled by a PhilHealth arrears settlement and bigger transfers to local governments even as tax collections limped along and non-tax revenue dropped 36%.","\u003Cp>The national government's budget deficit for August 2026 hit ₱161.3 billion, nearly double the ₱84.8 billion shortfall recorded in August 2025, according to Bureau of the Treasury data. That single month pushed the cumulative deficit for the first eight months of the year to ₱1.05 trillion — a 21% increase over the same period last year.\u003C/p>\n\n\u003Cp>The widening was driven almost entirely by spending, not a revenue collapse. National government expenditures for August reached ₱507.3 billion, up 16% year-on-year, while revenue collections actually held up reasonably well on the tax side: the Bureau of Internal Revenue brought in ₱248.4 billion and the Bureau of Customs ₱80.7 billion, up 4.2%. The real drag was non-tax revenue, which fell 36% for the month, pulling total August collections down 1.9% to ₱346.0 billion even as year-to-date revenue is still up 4.27% at ₱3.22 trillion.\u003C/p>\n\n\u003Cp>Two specific items account for much of August's expenditure spike, per the Treasury data: a settlement of PhilHealth arrears, and larger National Tax Allotment (NTA) shares released to local government units. Year-to-date, interest payments on the national debt have reached ₱686.5 billion — a number that keeps climbing alongside the record ₱19.39-trillion national debt Pulpulitiko has previously reported on.\u003C/p>\n\n\u003Cp>Buried in the same numbers is a detail that cuts against the headline: the government's August primary balance — spending minus revenue, excluding interest payments — actually swung to a ₱95.6-billion surplus, compared to a ₱21.7-billion primary deficit in August 2025. Strip out debt-servicing costs and one-off settlements like the PhilHealth arrears, in other words, and the government's day-to-day fiscal position improved from a year ago. The overall deficit widened anyway, because interest and the arrears payout outweighed that underlying improvement — a distinction the raw ₱161.3-billion headline number doesn't convey on its own, and one the Treasury's release did not spell out in a public statement.\u003C/p>\n\n\u003Cp>The Treasury's data characterizes the eight-month deficit as "still tracking within the full-year program," but the cited reporting did not include the specific full-year deficit ceiling against which that claim can be checked — leaving readers to take the assurance on faith rather than arithmetic.\u003C/p>\n\n\u003Ch2>Context\u003C/h2>\n\u003Cp>The deficit widening lands the same week Pulpulitiko reported that the Asian Development Bank and S&P Global Ratings both slashed their 2026 Philippine growth forecasts, citing fallout from the flood-control corruption scandal and a 32% drop in state infrastructure spending — even as the Department of Budget and Management previously reported releasing 94.1% of the 2026 budget, with the DPWH, the agency at the center of that scandal, posting a near-perfect 99.5% release rate. Rising debt-service costs and one-off settlements like PhilHealth's arrears add pressure to a fiscal picture already strained by weak growth and a widening current account gap.\u003C/p>\n\n\u003Ch2>Sources\u003C/h2>\n\u003Cul>\n\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"https://context.ph/2026/09/25/philippine-govt-august-budget-deficit-widens-to-p161-3b/\" rel=\"nofollow noreferrer\">Philippine govt August budget deficit widens to P161.3B – Context PH\u003C/a>\u003C/li>\n\u003C/ul>","published","2026-09-27T05:57:43.361076Z","2026-09-27T05:57:43.361387Z",{"id":52,"name":53,"slug":54,"description":55,"created_at":90,"updated_at":90},"0001-01-01T00:00:00Z",[92,96,100,104,108],{"id":93,"name":94,"slug":95,"created_at":90,"updated_at":90},"882dac18-bf7d-4ee6-b693-bff1a9e36a74","DOF","dof",{"id":97,"name":98,"slug":99,"created_at":90,"updated_at":90},"cd5c97f2-9eb8-4269-a685-6d1dded27b41","DBM","dbm",{"id":101,"name":102,"slug":103,"created_at":90,"updated_at":90},"70a141fd-f734-4b2a-b281-8bf69c356237","National Budget","national-budget",{"id":105,"name":106,"slug":107,"created_at":90,"updated_at":90},"b43cf7cf-b5d4-41dd-a1f9-f86a3a05b1be","Fiscal Policy","fiscal-policy",{"id":109,"name":110,"slug":111,"created_at":90,"updated_at":90},"ba1b2476-d304-41a1-8c22-fa4d8d33f94e","Government Spending","government-spending",[113,121,128,136],{"id":114,"slug":115,"title":116,"summary":117,"status":86,"view_count":118,"published_at":119,"created_at":120,"category_name":53,"category_slug":54},"5f7376f4-0002-4875-be7d-ef0f8bd466dd","peoples-budget-coalition-flags-735-billion-2027-budget-august-2026","Civil-Society Coalition Flags ₱735.56 Billion in Proposed 2027 Budget as Vulnerable to Political Insertions","The People's Budget Coalition says roughly a tenth of President Marcos' proposed ₱7.2-trillion 2027 national budget — split between \"soft pork,\" \"hard pork\" and \"shadow pork\" — carries elevated risk of political discretion and transparency problems as Congress begins its review.",4,"2026-08-31T22:13:42.104064Z","2026-08-31T22:13:42.105335Z",{"id":122,"slug":123,"title":124,"summary":125,"status":86,"view_count":4,"published_at":126,"created_at":127,"category_name":53,"category_slug":54},"798945d2-5a95-4fc9-b641-b9bd3312749a","dbm-releases-94-percent-2026-budget-agriculture-lags-september-2026","DBM Releases 94.1% of 2026 Budget, But Agriculture Department Spending Lags at 68.8% With Four Months Left","The release pace trails 2025's rate for the same period, with the Department of Agriculture down nearly 28 percentage points from a year ago even as DPWH — the agency at the center of the flood-control corruption scandal — hits a near-perfect 99.5%.","2026-09-16T22:13:44.061261Z","2026-09-16T22:13:44.061337Z",{"id":129,"slug":130,"title":131,"summary":132,"status":86,"view_count":133,"published_at":134,"created_at":135,"category_name":53,"category_slug":54},"8026a513-32c2-4380-bb79-d18c1d496a24","boc-p1-trillion-revenue-goal-modernization-budget-cut-august-2026","Bureau of Customs Says It Can Hit ₱1-Trillion Revenue Target, Even as 2027 Budget Slashes Its Modernization Funding by ₱22 Billion","Customs Commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno says stricter cargo assessments will help the agency meet its ₱1.075-trillion 2027 collection target, but the proposed national budget carried over only ₱5.9 billion of the ₱28 billion the bureau sought for scanning machines and radiation detectors, a shortfall he says could delay port modernization and anti-smuggling efforts.",11,"2026-08-19T22:56:39.43915Z","2026-08-19T22:56:39.439489Z",{"id":137,"slug":138,"title":139,"summary":140,"status":86,"view_count":141,"published_at":142,"created_at":143,"category_name":53,"category_slug":54},"5e18ed5d-ca13-461b-85d6-75081546f741","dbm-releases-87-percent-2026-budget-dpwh-catches-up-infrastructure-spending-slump-june-2026","Gov't Releases 87.7% of the P6.79-Trillion Budget but Lags Last Year's Pace as Infrastructure Spending Stays in a Slump","The Department of Budget and Management has released 87.7% of the P6.793-trillion 2026 national budget as of end-May — slower than the 90.4% disbursed a year earlier — even as the long-lagging DPWH finally received 96.6% of its allocation. But capital spending remains depressed: infrastructure and other capital outlays plunged 52% to P41.5 billion in April, the 10th straight monthly decline since the flood-control corruption scandal erupted.",6,"2026-06-21T22:10:21.312164Z","2026-06-21T22:10:21.312996Z",{"left":4,"top":4,"width":5,"height":5,"rotate":4,"vFlip":6,"hFlip":6,"body":145},"\u003Cpath fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\" stroke-width=\"1.5\" d=\"m2.25 12l8.955-8.955a1.124 1.124 0 0 1 1.59 0L21.75 12M4.5 9.75v10.125c0 .621.504 1.125 1.125 1.125H9.75v-4.875c0-.621.504-1.125 1.125-1.125h2.25c.621 0 1.125.504 1.125 1.125V21h4.125c.621 0 1.125-.504 1.125-1.125V9.75M8.25 21h8.25\"/>",{"left":4,"top":4,"width":5,"height":5,"rotate":4,"vFlip":6,"hFlip":6,"body":147},"\u003Cpath fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\" stroke-width=\"1.5\" d=\"m8.25 4.5l7.5 7.5l-7.5 7.5\"/>",{"left":4,"top":4,"width":5,"height":5,"rotate":4,"vFlip":6,"hFlip":6,"body":149},"\u003Cpath fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\" stroke-width=\"1.5\" d=\"M6.75 3v2.25M17.25 3v2.25M3 18.75V7.5a2.25 2.25 0 0 1 2.25-2.25h13.5A2.25 2.25 0 0 1 21 7.5v11.25m-18 0A2.25 2.25 0 0 0 5.25 21h13.5A2.25 2.25 0 0 0 21 18.75m-18 0v-7.5A2.25 2.25 0 0 1 5.25 9h13.5A2.25 2.25 0 0 1 21 11.25v7.5\"/>",{"left":4,"top":4,"width":5,"height":5,"rotate":4,"vFlip":6,"hFlip":6,"body":151},"\u003Cpath fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\" stroke-width=\"1.5\" d=\"M12 6v6h4.5m4.5 0a9 9 0 1 1-18 0a9 9 0 0 1 18 0\"/>",{"left":4,"top":4,"width":5,"height":5,"rotate":4,"vFlip":6,"hFlip":6,"body":153},"\u003Cpath fill=\"currentColor\" d=\"M9.101 23.691v-7.98H6.627v-3.667h2.474v-1.58c0-4.085 1.848-5.978 5.858-5.978c.401 0 .955.042 1.468.103a9 9 0 0 1 1.141.195v3.325a9 9 0 0 0-.653-.036a27 27 0 0 0-.733-.009c-.707 0-1.259.096-1.675.309a1.7 1.7 0 0 0-.679.622c-.258.42-.374.995-.374 1.752v1.297h3.919l-.386 2.103l-.287 1.564h-3.246v8.245C19.396 23.238 24 18.179 24 12.044c0-6.627-5.373-12-12-12s-12 5.373-12 12c0 5.628 3.874 10.35 9.101 11.647\"/>",{"left":4,"top":4,"width":5,"height":5,"rotate":4,"vFlip":6,"hFlip":6,"body":155},"\u003Cpath fill=\"currentColor\" d=\"M14.234 10.162L22.977 0h-2.072l-7.591 8.824L7.251 0H.258l9.168 13.343L.258 24H2.33l8.016-9.318L16.749 24h6.993zm-2.837 3.299l-.929-1.329L3.076 1.56h3.182l5.965 8.532l.929 1.329l7.754 11.09h-3.182z\"/>",{"left":4,"top":4,"width":5,"height":5,"rotate":4,"vFlip":6,"hFlip":6,"body":157,"hidden":158},"\u003Cpath fill=\"currentColor\" d=\"M20.447 20.452h-3.554v-5.569c0-1.328-.027-3.037-1.852-3.037c-1.853 0-2.136 1.445-2.136 2.939v5.667H9.351V9h3.414v1.561h.046c.477-.9 1.637-1.85 3.37-1.85c3.601 0 4.267 2.37 4.267 5.455v6.286zM5.337 7.433a2.06 2.06 0 0 1-2.063-2.065a2.064 2.064 0 1 1 2.063 2.065m1.782 13.019H3.555V9h3.564zM22.225 0H1.771C.792 0 0 .774 0 1.729v20.542C0 23.227.792 24 1.771 24h20.451C23.2 24 24 23.227 24 22.271V1.729C24 .774 23.2 0 22.222 0z\"/>",true,{"left":4,"top":4,"width":5,"height":5,"rotate":4,"vFlip":6,"hFlip":6,"body":160},"\u003Cpath fill=\"currentColor\" d=\"M17.472 14.382c-.297-.149-1.758-.867-2.03-.967c-.273-.099-.471-.148-.67.15c-.197.297-.767.966-.94 1.164c-.173.199-.347.223-.644.075c-.297-.15-1.255-.463-2.39-1.475c-.883-.788-1.48-1.761-1.653-2.059c-.173-.297-.018-.458.13-.606c.134-.133.298-.347.446-.52s.198-.298.298-.497c.099-.198.05-.371-.025-.52s-.669-1.612-.916-2.207c-.242-.579-.487-.5-.669-.51a13 13 0 0 0-.57-.01c-.198 0-.52.074-.792.372c-.272.297-1.04 1.016-1.04 2.479c0 1.462 1.065 2.875 1.213 3.074s2.096 3.2 5.077 4.487c.709.306 1.262.489 1.694.625c.712.227 1.36.195 1.871.118c.571-.085 1.758-.719 2.006-1.413s.248-1.289.173-1.413c-.074-.124-.272-.198-.57-.347m-5.421 7.403h-.004a9.87 9.87 0 0 1-5.031-1.378l-.361-.214l-3.741.982l.998-3.648l-.235-.374a9.86 9.86 0 0 1-1.51-5.26c.001-5.45 4.436-9.884 9.888-9.884c2.64 0 5.122 1.03 6.988 2.898a9.82 9.82 0 0 1 2.893 6.994c-.003 5.45-4.437 9.884-9.885 9.884m8.413-18.297A11.82 11.82 0 0 0 12.05 0C5.495 0 .16 5.335.157 11.892c0 2.096.547 4.142 1.588 5.945L.057 24l6.305-1.654a11.9 11.9 0 0 0 5.683 1.448h.005c6.554 0 11.89-5.335 11.893-11.893a11.82 11.82 0 0 0-3.48-8.413\"/>",{"left":4,"top":4,"width":5,"height":5,"rotate":4,"vFlip":6,"hFlip":6,"body":162},"\u003Cpath fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\" stroke-width=\"1.5\" d=\"M13.19 8.688a4.5 4.5 0 0 1 1.242 7.244l-4.5 4.5a4.5 4.5 0 0 1-6.364-6.364l1.757-1.757m13.35-.622l1.757-1.757a4.5 4.5 0 0 0-6.364-6.364l-4.5 4.5a4.5 4.5 0 0 0 1.242 7.244\"/>"]