The national government has proposed ₱67.9 billion for the Judiciary in 2026. That sounds large — and it is — but context matters. The whole proposed national budget for 2026 is ₱6.793 trillion, so the Judiciary’s share is about 1.0% of the national budget.
Two quick ASEAN comparisons:
Singapore. The Singapore “Judicature” (courts) FY2025 budget is about US$400.4 million — a well-resourced, modern judiciary serving a much smaller population and operating in a different public-finance environment. As a share of Singapore’s large programme budgets, the Judicature is roughly 0.4% of total government expenditure.
Indonesia. The Supreme Court (Mahkamah Agung) was allocated around Rp12.68 trillion for 2025. Indonesia’s state budget (APBN) runs into the multiple thousands of trillions of rupiah (≈ IDR 3,621 trillion proposed for 2025), which places the MA allocation well under 0.5% of total national spending.
What this means for ordinary people
1. Share of the pie matters, but so does need. The Philippines is allocating about 1% of its national budget to Courts — higher, proportionally, than some larger neighbours — but that does not automatically mean better or faster justice. What the money is spent on (more judges, courtrooms, digital case management, faster case disposal) is decisive.
2. Backlogs and delay remain a real problem. The Supreme Court and lower courts continue to report large numbers of pending cases and case-management challenges; improving infrastructure, IT systems, and case-processing is essential if extra funding will translate into faster relief for citizens.
3. International examples show how to spend, not just how much to give. Singapore spends heavily per court user on IT, case-flow management, and training; other ASEAN judiciaries prioritise increased staff, courthouse refurbishment, or targeted reforms. The lesson: effectiveness depends on targeted reforms, transparent procurement, and measurable performance indicators.
Bottom line (for non-lawyers): ₱67.9B is a meaningful allocation — larger in percentage terms than some ASEAN peers — but money alone will not speed up justice. To benefit ordinary Filipinos the funds must be used for concrete reforms: more judges/rooms, better case-tracking IT, simplified procedures, and clear targets to reduce delay and backlog.
(Sources: DBM press release and 2026 budget briefer; Singapore Ministry of Finance FY2025 Judicature estimates; Indonesian court budget reports; Philippine Judiciary annual reports.)
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Assisted by ChatGPT AI app, September 17, 2025.
