MANILA – The proposed P6.793-trillion national budget for 2026 moved closer to enactment after lawmakers from the House of Representatives and the Senate formally adopted a unified version of the General Appropriations Bill following bicameral conference deliberations on Sunday, December 28.
Members of the bicameral conference committee signed the reconciled budget report at the Philippine International Convention Center, capping several days of negotiations to resolve differences between the two chambers’ versions of the spending measure.
House Committee on Appropriations chairperson Mikaela Suansing said the final proposal prioritizes public welfare while emphasizing openness in the budget process.
“What we want to call this budget is a people-centered budget. In terms of the process, we made sure it was transparent and accountable to the Filipino people, and in terms of the content, we focused on human capital development,” Suansing said.
She added that legislators took time to scrutinize contested provisions to ensure clarity and public accountability.
“We worked hard to make sure that the disagreeing provisions were discussed, leaving no stone unturned. We also wanted the public to see exactly how every peso of taxpayers’ money is allocated,” she said.
Senate Committee on Finance chairperson Sherwin Gatchalian, meanwhile, credited cooperation between the two chambers for the timely completion of the budget.
“Lahat po ay nagtulong-tulong, nagsunog ng kilay para po matapos itong ating pambansang budget,” he said.
Gatchalian noted that major funding was directed toward education, healthcare, and agriculture, sectors he described as essential to long-term economic growth.
“Makikita natin na malaki po ang pondong inilagay natin sa edukasyon, kalusugan, at sa agrikultura. Dahil naniniwala kami na ang tatlong sektor na ito ay mahalaga sa pagpapaunlad ng atin pong ekonomiya,” he added.
Bicameral discussions ran from December 13 to December 18 and were conducted under heightened public scrutiny. The talks were livestreamed for the first time, following previous investigations that flagged questionable insertions during past bicameral processes, including funding linked to alleged irregular flood control projects.
On Monday, December 29, the Congress ratified the consolidated budget measure via viva voce vote.
After ratification, the budget bill will be forwarded to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. for approval. Executive Secretary Ralph Recto has said the President is expected to sign the General Appropriations Act in the first week of January./PN
