No insertions, no charter change fund in 2026 budget - Gatchalian

Metro Manila, Philippines - The Senate has officially received the proposed ₱6.793-trillion national budget for 2026, with the chairperson of the Senate finance committee vowing transparency and a strict stance against last-minute insertions.

Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman turned over the 2026 National Expenditure Program (NEP) to committee chairperson and Senator Win Gatchalian on Wednesday, Aug. 13. The ceremony was witnessed by Senate President Chiz Escudero, Majority Leader Joel Villanueva, and accounts committee chairperson Alan Peter Cayetano.

Speaking to reporters, Gatchalian said the turnover marks the beginning of the budget deliberations. The Development Budget Coordination Committee (DBCC) briefing is set for Sept. 1, followed by a series of committee hearings expected to run until the first week of November. Heads of government agencies will defend their respective budget proposals during these hearings.

Gatchalian said he would be strict during the bicameral conference committee, where lawmakers reconcile differences between the House and Senate versions of the budget bill, to ensure transparency and prevent the insertion of unauthorized amendments.

“Hindi ko papayagan na magkaroon ng pagsisingit especially sa bicam [I will not allow insertions especially in bicam],” Gatchalian said.

“Bicam will be limited to disagreeing provisions,” he added.

When asked if any allocation was made for charter change amid renewed calls to amend the Constitution, Gatchalian said there was none.

“Dahil wala siya sa NEP at hindi siya, sa pagkaalam ko, hindi siya nasa development program ng pangulo sa ngayon, wala siyang puwang dito sa budget natin. Kumbaga walang space para sa budget natin,” Gatchalian said.

“Kasi hindi naman na-propose sa NEP. So hindi naman tayo pwede magpasok ng isang napakalaking aktibidad na hindi naman pinopropose ng executive,” he added.

[Translation: Since it’s not in the NEP and, to my knowledge, it’s not part of the president’s development program, there’s no place for it in our budget. In other words, there’s no space for it. Because it wasn’t proposed in the NEP, we can’t just insert a major activity that wasn’t even proposed by the Executive.]

Gatchalian also committed to holding consultations with civil society organizations, non-government organizations, and budget experts to gather public feedback. He encouraged the public to scrutinize the NEP, which is published online, and submit their comments.

“Of course, dadaan sa committee yan, hindi diretso sa agencies. Pwede silang mag-suggest na, for example, o dagdagan natin ang budget sa bike lane, o dagdagan natin ang budget sa pedestrian walkways or sa sidewalks,” he said.

[Translation: Of course, that will go through the committee, not directly to the agencies. They can make suggestions - for example, to increase the budget for bike lanes, or to increase the budget for pedestrian walkways or sidewalks.]

Earlier on Wednesday, the Department of Budget and Management also submitted the 2026 NEP to the House of Representatives.

While committee hearings in both chambers may proceed simultaneously, the Senate will wait for the House’s version of the General Appropriations Bill before holding its plenary debates since budget bills emanate from the lower chamber.