Following the bicameral conference committee's reconciliation of the 2026 budget, Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo Lacson advocated for a reenacted budget in early January over a rushed one unresponsive to needs, allowing time for review of the P6.793-trillion proposal amid public funds controversies. Acting Executive Secretary Ralph Recto said President Marcos will scrutinize it before signing.
Building on the bicameral conference that began December 13 and concluded in the early hours of December 18—with ratification slated for December 29—Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo Lacson urged against rushing the 2026 budget approval. He emphasized the executive needs time to examine Congress's version, particularly 'budget insertions' for pet projects linked to corruption scandals like flood control.
"A reenacted budget in the first week of January or first quarter of 2026 would be better than a rushed one 'not responsive to the call of the times,'" Lacson said. He highlighted contentious items including boosts to the Department of Social Welfare and Development's Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations (AICS), Department of Health's Medical Assistance to Indigent and Financially Incapacitated Patients (MAIFIP)—previously discussed in bicam—and Department of Agriculture's Farm-to-Market Roads.
The Senate incorporated general and special provisions to curb misuse, such as banning politicians from distributing aid. "The budget is far from perfect for proper public funds utilization," Lacson conceded, calling for ongoing vigilance.
Vice President Sara Duterte noted signing post-December 31 would trigger reenactment. Sen. Francis Pangilinan lauded the DA 'digital agriculture' funding rise to P600 million from P500 million for anti-corruption tech, plus P1 billion for the Bio-Safe program against diseases like African Swine Fever, which previously cost P200 billion.
