Bicameral Committee Completes Deliberations on P6.793-Trillion 2026 National Budget

After days of meetings that stretched into overtime, the bicameral conference committee has completed deliberations on the proposed P6.793-trillion national budget for 2026, clearing the way for its timely enactment and eliminating the risk of a reenacted General Appropriations Act (GAA).

The assurance was given early Thursday morning by House Committee on Appropriations chairperson Rep. Mikaela Angela Suansing and Senate Committee on Finance chairman Sherwin Gatchalian, the co-chairs of the bicameral conference committee on the 2026 General Appropriations Bill (GAB).

Facing the media following the end of the last bicam meeting, Suansing said "we can now confidently say, now that the bicam is over, there will be no re-enacted budget."

Both lawmakers said the bicameral panel worked overtime these past several days to meet constitutional deadlines and ensure the continuity of government operations and public services.

Suansing said the timeline was deliberately structured to give the executive branch sufficient time to review the budget before it is signed into law by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. before the end of the year.

"We just want to give the assurance that the executive has enough time to review," Suansing said.

She added that the bicam panel coordinated closely with the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) to transmit finalized agency items, allowing the executive review to run in parallel with the completion of the enrolled GAB.

Gatchalian said the signing and ratification schedule was adjusted to allow time for reconciliation, balancing, and printing of the bicameral report. He said the bicam report is expected to be signed on Dec. 28, ratified by both chambers on Dec. 29, and signed into law by the President on the same day.

Suansing rejected suggestions that the bicam outcome reflected concessions between the House and the Senate, emphasizing that discussions focused on producing a credible and accountable national budget.

"I wouldn't say it's a House concession. We've been working together very hard over the past few days to get to a budget that both Houses will be proud of," she said. "So again, we want to make sure that we have a budget that the Filipino people can trust."

Gatchalian said the 2026 GAB includes safeguards to prevent problems encountered in past budgets.

"Well, the important thing is that all the safeguards are here in this budget," he said. "So, the flood control (fiasco) will not be repeated, the ghost projects will not be repeated, the projects that cannot be found or substandard will not be repeated," he said.

The Senate finance chief noted that projects are now clearly identified to strengthen transparency and accountability. "Ang importante rito lahat 'yun pupunta sa tao. Ang tao makikinabang doon (The important thing here is that everything goes to people. People will benefit from [the projects])."

The bicam chairpersons expressed confidence that the President will sign the 2026 GAB, citing close coordination with government agencies and the executive branch throughout the process.

"I'm confident that no provision in the budget will be vetoed," Gatchalian said.

Suansing agreed, noting that no items were removed or inserted without proper coordination.

"We also don't put in items in the budgets of agencies without the approval of the head of agency and the agency itself," she pointed out. 💙