House suspends sessions, extends calendar

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December 23, 2025 | 12:00am

MANILA, Philippines — The House of Representatives resumed session yesterday morning, but suspended it before lunchtime as both chambers of Congress approved the P6.793-trillion 2026 national budget through the country’s first livestreamed bicameral conference.

Speaker Faustino Dy III, in delivering his closing remarks ahead of Congress’ Christmas break,said the conclusion of the bicameral negotiations marked a “turning point for transparency in the budget process.”

“This was the first open bicam in our history – a very important step in our legislative chapter towards a clearer tomorrow, where the more trustworthy process has been adopted in crafting our yearly national budget,” Dy said.

The Speaker said the openness resulted in a national budget the public can trust.

“We finished the budget that the people can fully trust – a budget that is free from insertions that are not hidden, not being rushed and not being moved away – but is rather transparent and open to the prying eyes of the general public,” Dy added.

Also yesterday, House Majority Leader Sandro Marcos manifested on the floor that moved – for the third time this year – Congress’ legislative calendar, noting that “additional time is required to complete the preparation and ratification of the bicam report on the GAB (General Appropriations Bill) 2026.”

“The ratification of the said committee report is imperative to ensure the continuity of government operations and the faithful implementation of the national budget for the ensuing fiscal year,” Marcos said.

He moved in plenary session to “amend” the legislative calendar on the Dec. 22 resumption of session and on Dec. 29, where Congress will ratify the GAB and the President will sign the spending measure later in the day.

Sessions, however, will adjourn on Dec. 23 and Dec. 30 – a holiday commemorating Jose Rizal’s death – following assurances to Marcos that the “Senate will make a similar motion to amend the legislative calendar.”

“All other dates in the previously adopted calendar shall remain the same,” the House official said, with House Deputy Speaker Vicente Emano – the presiding officer – declaring the “motion is carried” after hearing no objection to Marcos’ proposal.

Developments in the House capped a year marked by institutional reforms, priority legislation and modernization efforts, as lawmakers moved to lock in the budget and advance key measures before Congress adjourned for the holidays.

Dy commended all House members of the 20th Congress, Marcos and House committee on appropriations chair Rep. Mikaela Angela Suansing and the entire House bicameral panel for steering the budget talks to completion.

“This budget is historic, not only because the process was transparent, but because the priorities were clear. It is a budget shaped by love for country, a deep understanding of our people’s realities and genuine compassion for ourkababayans,” Dy said.

The Speaker said the House version of the budget delivers concrete gains for Filipinos, citing record allocations for education, health care and agriculture.

Dy noted that education received the largest allocation in Philippine history, equivalent to 4.1 percent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product, with more than 25,000 classrooms set for construction or rehabilitation and full funding restored for the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education program.

On health care, Dy said the budget strengthens the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. and the Medical Assistance to Individuals and Financially Incapacitated Patients program to support zero-balance billing for indigent patients in public hospitals.

Budget watchdogs want MAIFIP abolished, calling it the health pork barrel.

No blind ratification

At yesterday’s plenary session, the Senate approved the amendment of the legislative calendar.

The Senate adjourns for a break on Dec. 30, a day after the scheduled ratification of the 2026 budget.

Senate finance committee chairman Sherwin Gatchalian said the extension would allow enough time to print the draft enrolled bill and circulate it among bicam conferees and other senators before ratification.

Gatchalian said the plan is to distribute the draft enrolled bill together with the bicam report on Dec. 28 at 10 a.m., with ratification scheduled the following day.

Senate President Vicente Sotto III said the Senate will not rush the ratification of the 2026 national budget, stressing that he refuses to allow a “blind ratification” and wants lawmakers to act only on an almost enrolled or fully enrolled copy of the bill.

Sotto said ratifying the budget on the same day was not an option, noting that he and Gatchalian agreed they could not proceed without a clear and complete document.

He said the Senate is eyeing ratification on Dec. 29, once the enrolled bill is ready and free of any insertions.

“For the record, this Congress, our leadership will never allow a blind ratification ever,” Sotto said during the plenary.

He underscored that the enrolled bill must be “a faithful reproduction of what the bicam approved.”

Sotto said it remains possible for President Marcos to sign the budget on Dec. 30 or 31 if Malacañang has already begun reviewing the measure, but added that a signing in the first week of January is more likely if the review is not completed.

He expressed confidence that a quorum will be present on Dec. 29 despite some senators traveling abroad, saying more than 13 senators are expected to attend the session. — Neil Jayson Servallos, Rainier Allan Ronda