MANILA — Congress will ratify the proposed P6.7-trillion national budget for 2026 only days before yearend, abandoning its pre-Christmas target and leaving President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. with a compressed two-day window to review the massive spending measure.
Senate Committee on Finance chairperson Sherwin Gatchalian said both chambers agreed to move the ratification to December 29 following the conclusion of the bicameral conference committee’s deliberations on the General Appropriations Bill (GAB).
“Based on the timetable ng mga staff, baka (DecembeR) 28 ang pirmahan and (December) 29 ang ratification kasi ‘yung pagbabalanse, pag-pi-print…kasi we have to reconcile our numbers with theirs. That process alone would take five days,” Gatchalian said.
The revised schedule, he explained, was coordinated with House Committee on Appropriations chairperson Rep. Mika Suansing and took into account the Christmas holidays, including Noche Buena.
Once ratified, Congress plans to transmit the enrolled budget bill to Malacañang on the afternoon of December 29.
With the year-end deadline looming, the tight timeline would give the President only two days to scrutinize the measure, including the possible exercise of line-item veto powers.
“Paspasan talaga,” Gatchalian said.
Despite the shortened review period, Suansing insisted that the executive branch would still have enough time to examine the proposed 2026 budget.
“Simultaneous na ‘yung finalization ng enrolled bill ng GAB at review ng [Department of Budget Management], so rest assured, the executive has enough time to review the GAB before the President signs it,” she said.
Suansing added that both chambers plan to pass another amendment to adjust the legislative calendar and accommodate the revised timetable.
Both Gatchalian and Suansing expressed confidence that the President would approve the budget without vetoing any provisions.
“Throughout the whole process, very, very close coordination with us and the executive,” Suansing said.
She added that government agencies would be formally notified of any changes made to their proposed allocations during the bicameral deliberations.
“So yes, we are confident that the President will not veto the budget,” she said./PN
