Senate, House leaders to sign report on 2026 budget

December 28, 2025 | 12:00am

MANILA, Philippines — In a final push to ensure the timely enactment of the national budget, Senate and House leaders are set to formally sign the bicameral conference committee report on the 2026 General Appropriations Bill (GAB) this afternoon.

Senate committee on finance chairman Sherwin Gatchalian and House committee on appropriations chairperson Mikaela Angela Suansing will lead the signing ceremony at 4 p.m. at the Philippine International Convention Center in Pasay City.

The signing will roll the budget process towards ratification, scheduled tomorrow.

After ratification, the budget will be sent to Malacañang for the President to either sign or veto in part or entirely.

Sen. Panfilo Lacson said Malacañang may be reviewing questionable items in the unprogrammed funds in the proposed 2026 national budget.

Lacson pointed to the unprogrammed funds as a key area under scrutiny, saying senators had agreed to allow only foreign-assisted projects, local counterpart funding and allocations for the Armed Forces of the Philippines modernization program.

In an interview with dwIZ, Lacson said he is confident that a majority of senators will support the ratification of the bicameral report on the 2026 budget, citing caucus discussions focused on safeguards and oversight.

“We’ve talked it over during caucus. To me, what’s important is we’ve agreed to put in place enough safeguards,” he said in Filipino, adding that Congress would continue to exercise oversight during budget implementation.

Asked whether there were provisions in the 2026 budget approved by the bicameral conference committee that should be vetoed, Lacson said the decision rests with the executive.

“If they think it’s not consistent with the programs of the executive, the President can always exercise its right to veto,” he added.

The senator also expressed support for Malacañang’s decision to extend its review of the budget and setting the signing in early January, saying the delay would have little impact on government operations.

Lacson said Senate leaders had agreed with House counterparts during bicameral deliberations to address controversial budget items by imposing restrictions rather than insisting on the Senate’s preferred versions.

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