The House of Representatives suspended sessions and extended its legislative calendar after approving the P6.793-trillion 2026 national budget in the country's first livestreamed bicameral conference. Speaker Faustino Dy III called it a 'turning point for transparency in the budget process.' The extension ensures proper ratification of the bicam report.
The House of Representatives resumed its session on Monday morning but suspended it before lunchtime as both chambers approved the P6.793-trillion 2026 national budget through the country's first livestreamed bicameral conference. Speaker Faustino Dy III described the conclusion as a 'turning point for transparency in the budget process' in his closing remarks before Congress's Christmas break.
'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 said.
House Majority Leader Sandro Marcos moved, for the third time this year, to extend the legislative calendar to allow completion of preparations and ratification of the bicam report on the 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,' Marcos stated.
Sessions will adjourn on December 23 and 30, with resumption on December 22 and ratification on December 29. The Senate also approved a similar amendment, according to Senate Finance Committee Chairman Sherwin Gatchalian, to provide time for printing and circulating the draft enrolled bill by December 28.
Senate President Vicente Sotto III emphasized no 'blind ratification,' targeting December 29 once the enrolled bill is ready and free of insertions. 'For the record, this Congress, our leadership will never allow a blind ratification ever,' Sotto said during plenary.
The budget allocates a record 4.1 percent of GDP to education, including construction or rehabilitation of over 25,000 classrooms and full funding for the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education program. For health care, it strengthens the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. and the Medical Assistance to Individuals and Financially Incapacitated Patients program, though watchdogs call the latter the 'health pork barrel.'
Dy commended 20th Congress members, including Marcos and Appropriations Chair Rep. Mikaela Angela Suansing, for completing a historic, transparent budget shaped by compassion for Filipinos.
