MinDA’s 2026 budget up 36%, defying reports of funding cuts

DAVAO CITY (October 13) — The Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) is set to receive a significant budgetary boost for Fiscal Year 2026 — a 36% increase under the Marcos administration — signaling a renewed national commitment to Mindanao’s long-term growth and stability. 

Data from the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) show that ₱363.409 million has been proposed for MinDA in the 2026 National Expenditure Program (NEP), up by ₱96.049 million from the ₱267.360 million approved in the 2025 NEP. 

This proposed increase contradicts earlier reports of a potential budget cut and underscores the administration’s recognition of MinDA’s expanding role as the government’s main coordinating agency for development across Mindanao’s six regions. 

From Modest Beginnings to Strategic Growth 

MinDA’s funding trajectory tells a story of gradual but determined progress. 
Created through Republic Act 9996 in 2010 to promote coordinated development across Mindanao, the agency initially worked on a lean ₱52 million budget. 

Over the next decade, it operated within the ₱100–₱200 million range sufficient for administrative coordination but too limited to match the island’s complex challenges in infrastructure, agriculture, energy, and peacebuilding. 

The turning point came in 2020 when Congress began to recognize Mindanao’s strategic importance in national growth. Through the Committee on Appropriations (CICA), legislators started augmenting MinDA’s annual allocations, first modestly, and later dramatically. 

In 2024, lawmakers added ₱109 million to its NEP allocation. A year later, the augmentation rose to ₱339 million, a record high that signaled strong cross-regional support. 

The proposed 2026 NEP now reflects that same spirit of prioritization — with the Marcos administration formally increasing MinDA’s baseline allocation by 36%. 

Mindanao Lawmakers Close Ranks 

In an increasingly polarized political climate, the Mindanao bloc in Congress stands as a rare example of unity. 

Lawmakers from Davao, Northern Mindanao, Soccsksargen, Zamboanga Peninsula, Caraga, and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region (BARMM) have collectively pledged to protect and potentially enhance MinDA’s budget as it moves through plenary debates in the House and Senate. 

For them, the increase represents more than just a financial adjustment. 
It is a political and moral statement, that Mindanao’s growth is integral to the nation’s progress. 

“Mindanao has always been seen as the resource frontier but not the development frontier,” one legislator from Northern Mindanao said. “Strengthening MinDA means institutionalizing a coordinated approach to infrastructure, investment, and peace, three pillars that Mindanao needs the most.” 

Magno’s Direction: People-Centered Development 

Under Secretary Leo Tereso Magno, MinDA has sought to redefine its mission — moving from mere coordination to convergence. 

Magno’s approach centers on “development with inclusion” — a philosophy that links economic investments with tangible outcomes in communities historically left behind by growth. 

In his statement, Magno welcomed the 2026 NEP increase with gratitude and purpose: 

“We are deeply grateful to our Mindanaoan champions in Congress who have stood firm for what Mindanao truly deserves,” Magno said. “Their support for MinDA’s budget is not just about numbers,  it’s a bold affirmation that Mindanao matters. Together, we will ensure that no part of our island is left behind.” 

For Magno, the higher allocation is not a mere operational fund. It is a catalyst for bridging local needs and national priorities, from agriculture and rural roads to power, digitalization, and peacebuilding in post-conflict zones. 

Ground Realities: What Mindanao Needs 

Despite its economic potential — contributing about 17% of the national GDP and hosting vast mineral, agricultural, and energy resources — Mindanao continues to face development gaps. 

According to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), several provinces in Mindanao remain among the poorest in the country. 
Infrastructure disparities are acute: in some provinces, farm-to-market roads are still impassable during the rainy season, electricity reliability remains uneven, and investment flows lag behind those in Luzon and Visayas. 

Mindanao’s poverty incidence rate averages around 26%, compared to 18% in Luzon. Rural income inequality, limited access to markets, and vulnerability to climate change compound these challenges. 

Magno has repeatedly emphasized that these are not isolated problems but interconnected barriers that require integrated planning — something MinDA is uniquely mandated to do. 

Strategic Priorities Under the 2026 Budget 

With the proposed budget increase, MinDA is expected to accelerate several priority programs: 

1. Investment Facilitation and PPP Engagements – Strengthening partnerships with local and foreign investors for agribusiness, renewable energy, and logistics. 

2. Infrastructure Coordination – Aligning regional road networks, ports, and bridges under the Mindanao Development Corridors Program. 

3. Peace and Development in Post-Conflict Areas – Sustaining the peace dividends of the BARMM transition and assisting in reintegration programs for former combatants. 

4. Sustainable Livelihood and Climate Resilience – Expanding community-based livelihood initiatives and promoting sustainable agriculture in vulnerable areas. 

5. Digital and Energy Connectivity – Supporting initiatives that improve internet access and power reliability across remote provinces. 

These are not just bureaucratic targets; they respond directly to what Mindanaoans on the ground have long been asking for — jobs, infrastructure, stability, and equitable growth. 

Mindanao’s Expanding Role in National Growth 

For decades, Mindanao has supplied much of the country’s food and energy but received only a fraction of the investment. 
That imbalance is slowly changing. 

National economic data show that Mindanao’s exports and manufacturing output have grown steadily in the past five years, driven by logistics, tourism, and agribusiness investments. 
However, sustaining that momentum requires institutional capacity — the kind MinDA is designed to provide. 

Economists point out that regional agencies like MinDA act as “connective tissue” — ensuring that projects funded by different departments (DPWH, DA, DTI, DOE, NIA, and NEDA) are synchronized to avoid duplication and maximize impact. 

Thus, the increased 2026 allocation signals the government’s intent to empower MinDA as more than a secretariat, but as a strategic enabler of convergence. 

Balancing Politics and Policy 

Mindanao’s development story has always been entangled with politics. 
Magno’s leadership, marked by calm coordination rather than confrontation — has earned him both allies and critics. 

Insiders say his focus on results-driven collaboration has gained the confidence of key Mindanao lawmakers and local government leaders, especially in high-growth regions like Davao, Cagayan de Oro, and General Santos. 

Still, the challenge remains: to translate institutional support into impact on the ground. 
Observers note that under Magno, MinDA’s credibility will depend on how effectively it channels its budget toward visible progress in rural communities — not just in administrative planning. 

Budget Debate Still Unfolding 

While the 2026 NEP signals optimism, the final allocation will depend on the General Appropriations Act (GAA) outcome after House and Senate deliberations. 

Lawmakers are expected to introduce amendments in the coming weeks, and sources within the Mindanao bloc say they are considering pushing for an even higher allocation to strengthen MinDA’s infrastructure coordination and investment promotion functions. 

If realized, this could push MinDA’s final 2026 budget to the highest in its 15-year history — cementing its role as a central driver of Mindanao’s development under the Marcos administration. 

Mindanao Matters

Magno’s recurring message, “Mindanao matters” is not a slogan. 
It reflects a deeper push for balanced national growth, one that acknowledges that peace and progress in Mindanao are essential for national stability. 

“We are not just working for development indicators,” Magno said recently. “We are working for dignity — for a Mindanao where a farmer can bring his produce to market without crossing a muddy river, where a child in Sulu can study without losing power, and where peace dividends translate into prosperity.” 

As the 2026 budget moves through Congress, Mindanaoans are watching, not just the numbers, but the promise behind them. 

If approved, the ₱363 million allocation will mark a turning point: 
a tangible vote of confidence in MinDA’s evolving leadership and in Mindanao’s place in the nation’s future. 

Because for many on the island, this is more than a budget story. 
It is the story of long-overdue inclusion, and of a development vision that finally sees Mindanao not as a frontier, but as a foundation of the Filipino dream.