Metro Manila, Philippines – Senate finance committee chairman Win Gatchalian has revealed what he described as a “very tight” timeline in passing the proposed ₱6.793-trillion national budget for next year.
The Senate was supposed to tackle budget amendments on Monday, Dec. 1, but this was moved to the following day due to an office fire that caused water seepage and damaged the session hall.
Tuesday, Dec. 2, is a special non-working holiday in Pasay City, where the Senate building is located, but senators agreed to hold a session to work on the budget.
“Pinakiusapan ko na lang ‘yung mga kasamahan natin na mag-session tayo bukas kahit na holiday kasi kung magse-session tayo ng Wednesday for period amendments, ‘yun, talagang madedelay ‘yun,” Gatchalian told reporters in an online interview on Monday.
[Translation: I just asked our colleagues to hold a session tomorrow even if it’s a holiday, because if we do the period of amendments on Wednesday, that will definitely cause delay.]
Here’s the tentative timeline as shared by Gatchalian:
Dec. 2 – Senate tackles budget amendments
Dec. 3 – Approval on second reading
Dec. 9 – Approval on third reading
Dec. 11-13 – Open bicameral conference committee meeting
Dec. 16 – Signing of bicam report
By Dec. 17 – Ratification of bicam report
Dec. 29 – Enactment of 2026 General Appropriations Act
“Very tight, to be honest about it. ‘Pag titingnan mo nga ‘yung bicameral, three days lang ‘yung binigay namin sa sarili namin. [If you look at the bicameral, we only gave ourselves three days]. We have to really work fast and find a common ground,” Gatchalian said.
Three-day open bicam
He referred to the bicameral conference committee meeting, which will be attended by select members of the Senate and House of Representatives who will reconcile differences in their respective versions of the budget bill.
For the first time in budget history, the bicam meetings will be open to the public and livestreamed in a policy of transparency amid the flood control corruption scandal. Past bicam meetings have been criticized for resulting in significant insertions behind closed doors, including anomalous flood control projects that allegedly involved lawmaker kickbacks.
Gatchalian said House lawmakers have agreed to the livestreaming and did not object to the three-day schedule.
He said he has discussed some bicam rules with his counterpart, House appropriations committee chair Rep. Mika Suansing, including limiting discussions only to disagreeing provisions and not entertaining new items during bicam.
“Hindi na namin papayagan ‘yan. At hindi na tayo papayag ‘yung tawag nga ni Senator Ping [Lacson] alien na mga projects. Gusto natin yung disagreeing provisions,” Gatchalian said.
[Translation: We will no longer allow that. And we will not allow what Senator Ping called “alien projects.” We only want to discuss disagreeing provisions.]
Contentious points
Gatchalian acknowledged clashes may erupt among lawmakers over a number of contentious issues.
“Pwede mangyari rin yan. Kung they will insist, syempre kami will insist, pwede mangyari yan. So we really need the support of our members,” he said.
[Translation: That can also happen. If they insist and we insist, it’s possible. So we really need the support of our members.]
He expects senators to push for more funds for disaster response and rehabilitation, including medical aid and temporary employment, instead of relying solely on the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management budget.
The Senate also added ₱10 billion for classroom construction on top of the House’s ₱20 billion allocation, which was based on the Department of Education utilization rate. Gatchalian said senators will justify the increase now that local government units will also be responsible for construction.
Other Senate amendments are an additional ₱20 billion for the militarymodernization program, a ₱70-billion cut to unprogrammed funds, and the removal of the controversial Strengthening Assistance for Government Infrastructure and Social Programs (SAGIP) program.
No reenacted budget
Gatchalian said the goal is to meet the year-end deadline to pass the budget and avoid a reenacted budget, which would mean running the government next year under the current General Appropriations Act.
“Meron rin akong fear… If you look at the signing in Malacanang, December 29. So, that’s two days before the New Year. So, medyo tight siya. Medyo tight. So, everyone should really work overtime,” he said.
[Translation: I also have that fear… If you look at the signing in Malacañang, it’s on December 29 – just two days before the New Year. So it’s tight, really tight. Everyone will have to work overtime.]
Gatchalian said there will be no reenacted budget as long as Congress sticks to the schedule.
“Hopefully, wala naman accident. So hopefully, wala naman magiging natural calamities,” he said.
[Translation: Hopefully, there won’t be any accidents or natural calamities.]
