Dennis Gasgonia

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Vivienne Gulla

ABS-CBN News

<p>MANILA -- The House contingent for the bicameral conference committee meeting on the proposed 2026 national budget is ready for the resumption of talks with their Senate counterparts on Tuesday afternoon, according to House Appropriations Committee Chairperson Rep. Mikaela Suansing. </p><p>The meeting was stalled over “deadlock” on the DPWH request to reverse the P45 billion cuts made by the Senate to the House version of the proposed budget for the agency. </p><p>But Senate Finance Committee Chairperson Sherwin Gatchalian on Monday night said the bicam meeting will resume on Tuesday.</p><p>“On the part of the House Bicam Conferees, it’s all systems go. We will once again be at PICC at 4 PM today,” Suansing said.</p><div><a class="fr-green" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/12/16/palace-still-optimistic-of-timely-2026-budget-passage-despite-bicam-deadlock-1539"><strong>Palace still optimistic of timely 2026 budget passage despite bicam deadlock</strong></a></div><p>Paranaque 2nd District Representative Brian Yamsuan, one of the House contingents for the budget bicam, also disputed rumors that the lower chamber is not responding whether its contingent will attend the bicam on Tuesday. </p><p>“We just finished our party leaders meeting in the House, and we got specific instructions from the Speaker na to finish the budget as early as possible. Kumbaga, wala ng delays,” Yamsuan said.</p><p>“Kahapon nga, ‘di ba, nandoon si Senator Sherwin talked with us. And then we fleshed out yung mga kailangan ng pag-usapan. And nag-agree kami to see each other at 4pm today. So, the House contingent will be at the PICC plenary hall by 4pm today,” he added.</p><p>“Kayo na ‘yung witness kahapon doon. Nandoon kami. Sila ‘yung wala doon. Siguro naman hindi na namin kailangan explain ‘yun. Self-explanatory na ‘yun. ‘Yung presence namin doon shows that we were committed in passing the budget.” Yamsuan asserted.</p><div><a class="fr-green" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/12/15/2026-budget-no-longer-on-schedule-admits-gatchalian-2010"><strong>2026 budget no longer on schedule, admits Gatchalian </strong></a> </div><div><br/></div><div><strong>OPEN TO LISTEN, RECONSIDER</strong></div><p>The House of Representatives is open to listening to the Senate’s explanation on its move to slash the proposed 2026 budget for DPWH’s 10,000 projects by P45 billion, and if convinced, is “willing” to reconsider its position, according to Yamsuan.</p><p>“Kung kailangan namin mapag-usapan ‘yan para mas maliwanagan kami sa computation nila, pakinggan namin... Willing naman kaming pakinggan sila. Kung maganda naman ‘yung paliwanag nila sa amin, willing naman kami to reconsider lahat ng mga gusto nilang gawin. So ang sa amin, pakinggan muna. Nahinto eh. Nawalan ng avenue for us to discuss in public… So we don&#x27;t want any backroom negotiations dito. Ang gusto namin mag-usap kami in front of the people, the Filipino people, na naghihintay ng sagot doon sa mga katanungan din nating lahat,” he said.</p><p>“Not give in, but to listen to them whether the reasons that they will provide us will be enough for us to be convinced, to get doon sa bottom ng nangyari, doon sa mga explanations nila, doon sa ginawa ni Sec Vince and at the same time, ‘yung ginawa nilang computations. We cannot go anywhere if we don&#x27;t discuss,” Yamsuan clarified.</p><div><a class="fr-green" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/12/14/dizon-faces-bicam-asks-lawmakers-to-empower-dpwh-to-cut-costs-of-materials-1939"><strong>Senators, congressmen wrangle over DPWH cuts to Senate budget </strong></a> </div><p>“Kung i-set aside muna natin lahat ng mga differences, ang tingin ko ang kailangan natin ‘yung bigger picture. Kailangan natin ito para sa bansa natin. Masyado nang apektado rin ‘yung ekonomiya natin and mahirap na hindi namin magawa ‘yung mga responsibilidad namin lalung-lalo na sa budget na ito kasi importante ito para sa taong bayan,” he noted.</p><p>Despite the differences between the House’s and the Senate’s positions on the DPWH budget, Yamsuan said the House contingent is intent on avoiding a reenacted budget for next year.</p><p>“I&#x27;m not thinking of a reenacted budget. We have reenacted budgets in the past, ‘di ba? Time ni President GMA, time ni President Duterte, ‘di ba? Nagkaroon tayo ng mga reenacted budgets. And nakita naman natin ‘yung naging epekto sa ekonomiya. Hindi siya maganda, di ba? So, basically, ang sa atin, we will be pushing for it na hindi makakaroon ng gano&#x27;ng klaseng sitwasyon,” he explained.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>INTRIGUE</strong></div><p>Yamsuan tagged as a mere “intrigue” Sen. Panfilo Lacson’s supposed information that House leaders face “threats” if they do not accommodate the individual amendments of some House members.</p><div><a class="fr-green" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/12/14/bicam-to-cut-dpwh-budget-dizon-appeals-0736"><strong>Bicam to cut DPWH budget; Dizon appeals </strong></a> </div><p>Yamsuan said majority of the lower chamber remain committed to the leadership of House Speaker Faustino “Bojie” Dy III.</p><p>“The House leaders we just met, committed kami sa leadership ni Speaker Bojie Dy. And we will be as one in our chamber to ensure that talagang… maayos natin itong national budget. Nangyayari lang naman itong mga intrigang ito because of the nangyayari sa budget. Pero at the end of the day, we are committed to the leadership of Speaker Bojie Dy,” the Paranaque solon explained. </p>

<p>The House contingent for the bicameral conference committee meeting on the proposed 2026 national budget is ready for the resumption of talks with their Senate counterparts on Tuesday afternoon, according to House Appropriations Committee Chairperson Rep. Mikaela Suansing.</p>

The House contingent for the bicameral conference committee meeting on the proposed 2026 national budget is ready for the resumption of talks with their Senate counterparts on Tuesday afternoon, according to House Appropriations Committee Chairperson Rep. Mikaela Suansing.

House ready for resumption of budget bicam meeting on Tuesday, says Suansing

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House ready for resumption of budget bicam meeting on Tuesday, says Suansing

Vivienne Gulla,

ABS-CBN News

Published Dec 16, 2025 04:32 PM PHT

Read More:

House of Representatives

Bicameral conference committee

Mikaela Suansing

National Budget

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