The third bicameral conference committee meeting on the proposed 2026 national budget will resume at 4 p.m. on Tuesday, December 16, as lawmakers move forward with allocations for other government agencies despite unresolved issues involving the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).
The previous session was canceled after what Senate Finance Committee chairperson Win Gatchalian described as a “deadlock” over the DPWH budget, following the agency’s appeal to restore ₱45 billion cut by the Senate. Senators said the reductions were based on DPWH data pointing to overpriced construction materials.
The DPWH submitted updated figures earlier in the day, but Gatchalian said the Senate is still reviewing the data. As a result, the bicam committee will proceed by discussing the budgets of other agencies.
House Committee on Appropriations chairperson and Nueva Ecija 1st District Representative Mika Suansing said members of the House panel will attend the resumed meeting at the Philippine International Convention Center to continue finalizing the proposed ₱6.793 trillion budget.
Despite the delay, Gatchalian said Congress remains on track to ratify the bicam committee report by December 22, provided deliberations are completed by Wednesday, December 17. He noted that this flexibility is part of the “buffers” built into the budget timeline.
Gatchalian also expressed confidence that President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. will sign the 2026 national budget before yearend, avoiding a reenacted budget, which would extend the implementation of the 2025 General Appropriations Act into next year.