₱7.2 Trillion: The New Budget and Bicol’s SDGs

A budget is only as good as the lives it improves.

A paradox unfolded on October 12. Did anyone notice it? At the Senate, sitting as an impeachment court, the prosecution concluded its presentation of evidence in the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte. At the House of Representatives, meanwhile, congressmen cheered as they approved on final reading the staggering ₱7.2-trillion national budget for 2027.

One proceeding raised questions about accountability for public funds. The other prepared another enormous sum of taxpayers’ money for government spending. And yet, before we entrust politicians with another budget running into trillions, have we adequately accounted for the money spent in previous years? Have we seen the results?

Public money is not a politician’s personal fund to distribute as favors or use to strengthen political influence. It belongs to the people. Governing is not like running a family business or managing a household budget. Public officials are entrusted with resources to serve millions of people, especially those who cannot afford to provide for their most basic needs.

Will anyone stand up and assure us that our taxes will be put to good use, that people’s lives will improve, and that our development goals will finally be realized? For us in Bicol, this is not an academic question. The Philippine Statistics Authority reported that Bicol had the highest poverty incidence among families among the country’s regions in 2025, at 16.8%. This was an improvement from 20.3% in 2023, but the region still had the highest rate in the country. In Camarines Sur, poverty incidence among individuals reached 30.4%.

How can a region blessed with fertile land, rich fishing grounds, natural resources, tourism destinations, and hardworking people continue to struggle with poverty? Perhaps it is time to look at the national budget differently. Instead of celebrating how much money has been appropriated, let us ask what that money has accomplished. Have more families escaped poverty? Have farmers and fisherfolk increased their incomes? Are our young people finding decent jobs? Are public hospitals more accessible? Are our communities safer when typhoons and floods strike? These are not unreasonable questions. They are what taxpayers should be asking.

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, or SDGs, give us a way to measure progress. But they should not remain words in government reports or targets that officials cite during conferences. They must be reflected in the everyday lives of our people.

For Bicol, SDG 1, No Poverty, must be our primary concern. Economic growth means little if poor families continue to struggle to put food on the table. SDG 8, Decent Work and Economic Growth, means creating jobs, supporting MSMEs, strengthening cooperatives and social enterprises, and giving young people opportunities to earn a decent living. SDG 2, Zero Hunger, calls for more than distributing food assistance. Our farmers and fisherfolk need better technology, financing, storage, processing facilities, and access to markets. They need to earn enough from their labor to support their families.

And what are we doing to develop Bicol’s Blue Economy? With our extensive coastlines and maritime resources, we have opportunities in sustainable fisheries, aquaculture, marine tourism, maritime industries, and offshore renewable energy. These could generate jobs and livelihood opportunities for coastal communities. But development must also protect fishing grounds and marine ecosystems. SDG 4, Quality Education, should mean that our graduates acquire skills they can use to find employment or establish enterprises. SDG 3, Good Health and Well-Being, means that poor families can obtain medical care without being pushed further into poverty. SDG 13, Climate Action, is especially important in Bicol, where typhoons and floods repeatedly destroy homes, farms, and livelihoods. These goals are connected. A farmer cannot escape poverty if his crops are repeatedly destroyed. A young person cannot build a future if education does not lead to employment. A coastal community cannot prosper if its fishing grounds are damaged or its people are excluded from new investments.

This is where the performance of our political leaders must be examined. Governors and mayors, legislators, national government agencies should be able to show how their programs improve people’s lives and strengthen communities. Public officials should be judged against measurable results in poverty reduction, employment, health, education, and disaster resilience—within the responsibilities entrusted to them. I personally believe the SDGs can serve as a framework for assessing political leadership. Which projects and programs have failed, and which have succeeded in significantly improving lives, strengthening communities, and protecting our ecosystems.

I keep coming back to the family in Camarines Sur that has to choose between buying food and paying school expenses, or the fisherfolk whose livelihood is threatened by declining catches and changing coastal conditions. What does a trillion-peso budget mean to them if their lives remain unchanged? We cannot expect the SDGs to be achieved through declarations alone. Corruption, waste, weak implementation, and lack of accountability can keep public resources from reaching the people who need them most.