Jonathan Frederic De Santos

Sen. Win Gatchalian presides over the Committee on Ways and Means hearing on various measures seeking to impose value-added tax (VAT) on digital transactions Thursday, July 6, 2023. Joseph Vidal,  Senate PRIB/File

Article (news)

Job Manahan

ABS-CBN News

<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/17614569432811761456941886.jpeg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/>Sen. Win Gatchalian presides over the Committee on Ways and Means hearing on various measures seeking to impose value-added tax (VAT) on digital transactions Thursday, July 6, 2023. Joseph Vidal, Senate PRIB/File </div>MANILA —  The Senate might pass a budget bill for 2026 lower than the P6.7-trillion National Expenditure Program submitted by the executive branch, Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian said on Sunday.In an interview on DZMM Teleradyo, Gatchalian, chair of the Senate Committee on Finance, said that is possible based on the current budget deliberations.“Personally, marami akong nakikitang agency na pwedeng tanggalan ng pondo o pwedeng bawasan ng pondo,&quot; Gatchalian said.(Personally, I see many agencies that we can cut the funding for)He said some agencies are asking for funding for projects that they cannot justify while some state corporations are seeking funding even if they have their own money.<div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/business/2025/10/24/senate-studying-15-20-cut-in-dpwh-infra-projects-1835">Senate studying 15-20% cut in DPWH infra projects </a></div>“Ang process na gagawin natin, of course, uunahin muna natin yung agencies na nangangailangan, so ililipat doon. Kung nailipat na at may sobra pa, puwedeng hindi na namin ilipat yun para makatipid rin tayo,&quot; he said.(The process will be, we will move these allocations to agencies that need them. If we have filled those and there are allocations left, we might just cut that so we can save)Gatchalian said some funds could be realigned to the education and social welfare sectors to help build classrooms, buy text books and classroom equipment and to pay for feeding programs.He said lowering the budget would also lower the budget deficit, or the difference between expenditures and revenue.  At present, he said they are looking at saving around P400 billion from various agencies – P340 billion from the Department of Public Works and Highways, P10 billion from the Department of Social Welfare and Development, and around P2 billion from Government-Owned or Controlled Corporations.<div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/10/22/sotto-wants-2026-budget-to-be-lower-than-nep-1705">Sotto wants 2026 budget to be lower than NEP </a></div>The budget for the government’s flagship programs would not be affected, he said. He said the Senate will also retain allocations for the the government counterpart funding for foreign- assisted projects.“Hindi rin ako sang-ayon dyan dahil mapapahiya tayo sa foreign funders natin,” the senator said. (I am not in favor of that since we will lose face with our foreign funders)Gatchalian said in the same interview that lawmakers have already agreed that the bicameral conference committee deliberations would be livestreamed but have to agree on the ground rules.

“Personally, marami akong nakikitang agency na pwedeng tanggalan ng pondo o pwedeng bawasan ng pondo," Gatchalian said.

“Personally, marami akong nakikitang agency na pwedeng tanggalan ng pondo o pwedeng bawasan ng pondo," Gatchalian said.

Gatchalian: Senate review could lead to budget lower than proposed in NEP

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Gatchalian: Senate review could lead to budget lower than proposed in NEP

Job Manahan,

ABS-CBN News

Published October 26, 2025 01:38 PM PHT

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Sherwin Gatchalian

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