The 2026 General Appropriations Act (GAA) stops politicians from joining the distribution of cash assistance by government agencies, according to Department of Budget and Management (DBM) acting Secretary Rolly Toledo on Saturday.
In a radio interview, Toledo explained that the 2026 GAA, or Republic Act (RA) 12314, which covers the P6.793 trillion national budget, includes a special rule that bans political involvement in giving out cash and other types of financial aid.
Referring to Section 19 of RA 12314, he said that all cash assistance and other financial aid will be distributed “exclusively by authorized government officers and personnel or accredited partners.”
“No public officials holding elective positions, electoral candidates, politicians, political partners, or any of their representatives, except for officials having direct administrative and executive authority over the implementing agency, shall influence, be present in, participate in, or take part in the actual distribution of any cash assistance and other forms of financial aid,” the provision read.
Toledo said the rule covers programs such as the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s services for individuals and families facing hardship, including the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) Program.
Other government assistance programs included are the Department of Labor and Employment’s Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (TUPAD) Program and the Department of Health’s Medical Assistance for Indigent and Financially Incapacitated Patients Programs.
He added that the law also bans political signs, branding, materials, or activities in areas where assistance is distributed.
“So, this is really, so to speak, a safeguard, the prohibition on politicians or the issuance of a ban on involving our politicians in this,” he said.
Under the 2026 GAA, national government agencies that give out cash and other financial aid must create and enforce clear rules, procedures, and reporting systems to make sure the policy is followed.
The law also instructs the Joint Congressional Committee on Public Expenditures to check if agencies are complying.
Section 20 of the 2026 GAA further bans the display or posting of the name, photo, image, motto, logo, color scheme, initials, or any symbol linked to any public official—whether elected or appointed—on signboards for all government programs, activities, and projects.
PNA PHOTO