Transport coalition questions zero budget for EDSA Busway, walking and cycling infrastructure

The Move As One Coalition is calling on the government to restore funding for public transportation, walking, and cycling infrastructure after several mobility programs received zero or significantly reduced allocations in the proposed 2027 national budget.

In a statement, the transport advocacy group said the proposed 2027 National Expenditure Program provides no funding for the EDSA Busway, service contracting, fuel subsidies, and road safety programs.

The EDSA Busway, which received P88.7 million in the 2026 budget, would receive no allocation under the proposed 2027 spending plan, the coalition noted. Service contracting and fuel subsidies would likewise drop to zero from P1 billion and P2.5 billion, respectively.

The proposed 2027 budget also cuts funding for the Active Transport Program by 68%, bringing its allocation down to P33.8 million.

For Move As One Coalition national coordinator Gybel Agregado, the funding cuts undermine the government’s promise to prioritize pedestrians and cyclists. The coalition pointed to the disparity between the proposed allocations and Filipinos' transportation needs, citing data showing that 94% of Filipinos do not own cars and that they support safer and wider bicycle lanes and walkways.

“Why are their mobility needs not reflected in the proposed National Expenditure Program 2027?” the coalition said in their statement.

The group said the proposed budget runs counter to the government's stated transportation priorities and the Philippine Development Plan 2023-2028, which gives pedestrians and cyclists the highest priority in the hierarchy of road users.

Move As One has previously pushed for greater government investment in active transport. The coalition has called for stronger funding for infrastructure that supports pedestrians and cyclists, particularly as commuters continue to face rising transportation costs.

It cited transport inflation of 9.9% in March 2026, up from negative 0.3% in February.

The coalition urged President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Congress to restore funding for public transportation, active mobility, and transport reforms as lawmakers deliberate on the proposed P7.2-trillion 2027 budget.

The 2027 NEP remains subject to congressional deliberations before the final national budget is enacted.