Jauhn Etienne Villaruel

Article (news)

Katrina Domingo

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1765955017897G8BuJCUbIAEJsUW_cropped_processed_by_imagy.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Senators and Congressmen in a huddle before the bicameral conference committee on the 2026 budget begins on December 13, 2025. RG Cruz, ABS-CBN News</span></span></span></div><div><br/></div><p>MANILA — Malacañang on Wednesday maintained that Congress still has enough days to pass the 2026 national budget on time, even as the spending bill remains stuck in the bicameral conference committee with lawmakers still disagreeing on the allocation for the Department of Public Works and Highways.</p><p>The Palace issued the statement in reaction to Senate President Pro-Tempore Panfilo Lacson’s pronouncement that it is better to have a reenacted budget in the first quarter of 2026 than pass “an unchecked, corruption-conducive and graft-ridden” spending bill.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/12/16/dpwh-apologizes-submits-new-data-amid-budget-impasse-1108">DPWH apologizes, submits new data amid budget impasse</a></div><p>“Maganda po ang suhestiyon ni Sen. Ping Lacson pero ang nais po talaga ng Pangulo ay hindi magkaroon ng reenacted budget,” Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro said in a press briefing in Malacañang.</p><p>“December 17 pa lang po at sa tingin po ng Pangulo ay may sapat pang panahon para aralin ito,” she said.</p><p>“I don’t want to mention any lesser evil. I will mention a good option. Ang good option ay pag-aralan mabuti, maayos na budget na maipapasa on time,” she added.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/12/17/2026-budget-bicam-extends-to-four-days-as-deadline-looms-0829">2026 budget bicam extends to four days as deadline looms</a></div><p>Malacañang earlier hoped to receive the final and approved version of the General Appropriations bill before Christmas to give President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ample time to review its contents before signing it into law before the year ends. </p><p>Under the law, the current national budget expires at the end of the year. </p><p>Without a new spending bill signed by the President, the Philippines will automatically use its last approved national budget for the following year until a new General Appropriations Act is signed into law.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEOS</strong></div><div><br/></div><div><strong><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/bHlCzFtt4ps?&amp;pp=0gcJCTwKAYcqIYzv&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable fr-active" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/8YlHLkW8sRA?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span></strong><br/></div>

<p>Malacañang on Wednesday maintained that Congress still has enough days to pass the 2026 national budget on time, even as the spending bill remains stuck in the bicameral conference committee.</p>

Malacañang on Wednesday maintained that Congress still has enough days to pass the 2026 national budget on time, even as the spending bill remains stuck in the bicameral conference committee.

Palace: Congress can still pass 2026 budget on time

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Palace: Congress can still pass 2026 budget on time

Katrina Domingo,

ABS-CBN News

Published December 17, 2025 03:08 PM PHT

Read More:

2026 National Budget

2026 General Appropriations Act

GAA

Panfilo Lacson

Claire Castro

Malacanang

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