Joselito Malig

Article (news)

RG Cruz

ABS-CBN News

MANILA (UPDATED) -- Senators and congressmen were set to resume the bicameral conference committee aimed at reconciling the House and Senate versions of the 2026 budget on Tuesday, but nearly 4 hours in, the proceedings have yet to start. This, amid their ongoing deadlock over the Department of Public Works and Highways&#x27; budget for next year.Senator Francis Pangilinan said lawmakers are waiting for the recomputed cost of construction materials so they can restore a budget that is just right for what is needed instead of a full restoration of the P45 billion that the DPWH wants.&quot;Na hindi pa dumadating kasi nga itong sinabi ni Sec. Vince Dizon na ire-recompute nila yung kanilang cost of materials. So, we&#x27;re waiting for that because that will now give us an idea ano yung magiging actual na cost dito sa instead of a full restoration ng budget na hinihingi, eh yung restoration based on kung ano yung overpriced.&quot; Pangilinan said, &quot;That&#x27;s the plan. We&#x27;re waiting up for the data.&quot;Pangilinan said they want to settle the matter of the DPWH budget already, though he admits postponing anew is a possibility. He added they also have to cross-check the data that will be submitted to them.&quot;We will still have to cross-check. So we&#x27;ll see. Kasi nga, hindi rin natin gustong mag-suspend o mag-adjourn. Kasi gusto natin habulin na matapos yun,&quot; Pangilinan said.Pangilinan said he can live with a partially reenacted budget for early 2026 rather than approve an overpriced budget.&quot;Well, if it&#x27;s a re-enacted budget na ma kumbaga pero maipapasa din after maybe a month end of January I think I can live with that more than itong ipipilit natin pero may mga overpriced may mga datos na hindi hindi natin maipapaliwanag so yun ang yeah that&#x27;s my answer reenacted budget na maipapasa yung 2026 budget dahil na-delay by end of January, I think it&#x27;s something more acceptable than passing a budget na alam natin na inamin na may overpriced.&quot;&quot;Yun nga sinabi ko eh, bakit tayo papayag na sinabi ng overpriced, pinabawas na nga dahil overpriced, tapos ngayon gustong ibalik yung same budget na inamin na overpriced.&quot;&quot;So, kumbaga, pwede nang sampahan ng, sabi ko, baka kami na ang susunod na ipatawag ng ICI, dahil may paliwanag bakit yung overpriced, itinuloy pa rin natin. Dapat maingat,&quot; he said.Pangilinan said one option is to call a special session ahead of the resumption of the regular session on January 26.&quot;In fact, ang mga options yan, mag-special session, manawagan ng special session. Before January 26, kasi yun ang resumption natin. May mga ganong mga options na posible para mapabilis na maipasa nga ito.&quot;Pangilinan admitted the DPWH budget is just one of many issues that have to be resolved.&quot;Well, meron pang ilang other issues na... pero hindi ko na alam. Sa atin, yun lang ang meron silang mga pinag-uusapan ibang mga bagay. But I think the bone of contention still is the DPWH budget.&quot;

Senators and congressmen were set to resume the bicameral conference committee aimed at reconciling the House and Senate versions of the 2026 budget on Tuesday, but nearly 4 hours in, the proceedings have yet to start.

Senators and congressmen were set to resume the bicameral conference committee aimed at reconciling the House and Senate versions of the 2026 budget on Tuesday, but nearly 4 hours in, the proceedings have yet to start.

Bicam still in impasse over 2026 DPWH budget

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Bicam still in impasse over 2026 DPWH budget

RG Cruz,

ABS-CBN News

Published December 16, 2025 08:29 PM PHT

|

Updated December 16, 2025 08:38 PM PHT

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bicam

budget

2026 budget

DPWH

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House of Representatives

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