Joselito Malig

Article (news)

Victoria Tulad

ABS-CBN News

<p>MANILA — Voting via viva voce or voice voting on Monday afternoon, the Senate ratified the Bicameral Conference Committee Report on the 2026 General Appropriations Bill (GAB), which proposes a P6.793 trillion budget.</p><p>Senate Finance Committee Chairperson Sherwin Gatchalian said the budget is &quot;people-centered&quot; and will respond to the needs of the public.</p><p>The biggest allocation will be given to the education sector amounting to P1.35 trillion.</p><p>“This is a historic 4.4% of GDP (Gross Domestic Product),” Gatchalian said in his speech during the session.</p><p>“Magkakaroon na ng malinaw at makabuluhang hakbang para mabawasan ang kakulangan sa mga silid-aralan. Milyun-milyong mga mag-aaral na dumaranas ng malnutrisyon ang makikinabang sa school-based feeding program, at sisiguraduhin nating ang bawat estudyante ay may sariling textbook,” he added.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/12/28/house-senate-sign-bicam-report-on-2026-national-budget-1807">Bicam report on &#x27;people-centered&#x27; 2026 national budget signed</a></div><p>The health sector will also be strengthened with a funding of P447.6 billion. T</p><p>his includes PhilHealth’s P129.78 billion, P16.5 billion of which was realigned from the budget of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).</p><p>The Agriculture department received P214.39 billion, the highest allocation for the sector in more than 10 years.</p><p>Those who voted yes but with reservation includes Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo Lacson, Deputy Majority Leaders JV Ejercito and Risa Hontiveros, Senators Loren Legarda and Francis Pangilinan.</p><p>“I just received a note from the President Pro Temp Senator Ping Lacson, he voted yes with strong reservations regarding the MAIFIP and AICS, just to manifest that the national budget must not be a political tool and free from political exploitation,” Senate President Vicente Sotto III said.</p><p>According to Ejercito, “My reservation arises from the steep rise in the budget allocated for the MAIFIP… Ang focus po dapat ay hindi ang pagpapalaki ng pondo ng MAIFIP kundi ang direktang paglagak ng pera sa mga ospital at sa Philhealth.”</p><p>Legarda, meanwhile, said, “My reservations arise from the national government’s continued failure to remit Philhealth’s actual legally mandated sin tax revenues from 2023 onward and statutory shares from PCSO and PAGCOR since 2019, undermining the Universal Health Care Act.”</p><p>Hontiveros said she has reservations on the P243 billion unprogrammed appropriations or standby fund.</p><p>“I believe it is possible, while registering my reservations and objections, to lend my support to the crucial reforms in this budget towards transparency and better governance - and the undeniable wins for people’s health, education and the protection of our women and children,” Hontiveros mentioned in her explanation of vote.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/business/2025/12/25/budget-watchdog-sees-red-flag-items-despite-lawmakers-assurances-of-no-pork-1246">Budget watchdog sees &#x27;red flag&#x27; items despite lawmakers&#x27; assurances of no pork</a></div><p>Pangilinan, in a statement, said he wants President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to veto the provision allowing the the Department Agriculture to enter into Memorandum of Agreement with the DPWH in the implementation of the P33 billion farm-to-market roads.</p><p>“The DA itself has admitted that DPWH is currently facing a massive backlog of about 60,000 kilometers of unfinished FMRs. Doon pa lang, dapat na tayong huminto sandali bago bigyan sila ulit ng malaking pondo,” Pangilinan said.</p><div> </div><div><strong>NO VOTES</strong></div><p>According to the Senate Secretariat, “The Conference Committee Report was approved and ratified by the body without any objection. After the approval of the report, only two senators  - Padilla and Marcoleta manifested their NO votes.</p><p>In the explanation of his no vote, Senator Rodante Marcoleta said, “AICS, MAIFIP, TUPAD—samu’t sari na ang naimbentong dagdag sa listahan ng mga ayuda, iba’t ibang termino na rin ang nagagamit, ngunit patuloy lamang itong naabuso at nagagamit pampulitika.”</p><p>Senator Robinhood Padilla said, “Meron pa rin pong hindi klarong alokasyon ng pondo lalong lalo na po sa ayuda at ganundin din po ang pagiging Manila-centric ng budget. Ngayon po ang  Mindanao ay nakakakuha lamang po ng 15% sa buong budget. Ikalawa, bagama’t naipanalo po natin sa Senado ang kapakanan ng mga katutubo, ako po’y naniniwala na kulang pa rin ang pondo para sa sektor ng mga katutubong pamayanan.”</p><p>Three bicam members did not sign the bicam report for reasons unknown to Gatchalian—Senators Ronald Dela Rosa, Bong Go, and Imee Marcos.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>ANTI-EPAL PROVISIONS</strong></div><p>Sotto and Gatchalian assured that there are anti-epal provisions in the proposed budget to prevent patronage politics, such as prohibiting politicians from attending aid distribution, and not allowing their paraphernalia to be displayed.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/12/17/leachon-maifip-medical-aid-program-could-lead-to-next-corruption-scandal-1417">Leachon: MAIFIP medical aid program could lead to next corruption scandal</a></div><p>Asked about guarantee letters for hospitals, Gatchalian said it will be up to the Department of Health (DOH) to remove this.</p><p>“Importante siya (anti-epal provision) dahil inapply natin yun sa lahat ng cash aid, lahat ng mga ayuda programs ng gobyerno na hindi puwedeng gamitin ng politiko for their own political patronage. So malaking safeguard yan na ilagay sa general provision. So ibig sabihin lahat ng programa ng gobyerno sakop nito dahil nasa general provision. At minandato rin natin yung mga ahensya to come up with guidelines on how to operationalize itong anti-political patronage or anti-epal provision,” Gatchalian explained.</p><p>He also maintained that unprogrammed appropriations will not be abused.</p><p>“Hindi na siya prone to corruption, that’s a 101 percent kasi tinanggal namin yung SAGIP doon. That’s 80 billion in lump sum fund na tinanggal natin. So ang natitira na lang doon targeted expense. So yung targeted expense for AFP modernization, for DTI’s CARS and RACE program. Meron rin doon yung foreign assisted projects. so lahat ito may pupuntahan. Di kagaya ng SAGIP dati na lump sum siya na puwedeng gamitin sa flood control, kalsada,” Gatchalian explained.</p><p>Congress will send the ratified version of the 2026 budget bill to Malacañang before the day ends. The Palace has previously said that the President intends to sign this within the first week of January.</p><p>Congress will resume session on January 26, 2026.</p>

<p>Voting via viva voce or voice voting on Monday afternoon, the Senate ratified the Bicameral Conference Committee Report on the 2026 General Appropriations Bill (GAB), which proposes a P6.793 trillion budget.</p>

Voting via viva voce or voice voting on Monday afternoon, the Senate ratified the Bicameral Conference Committee Report on the 2026 General Appropriations Bill (GAB), which proposes a P6.793 trillion budget.

Senators ratify bicam report on proposed 2026 national budget, two express opposition

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Senators ratify bicam report on proposed 2026 national budget, two express opposition

Victoria Tulad,

ABS-CBN News

Published Dec 29, 2025 08:26 PM PHT

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Congress

Senate

2026 budget

Bicam report

Win Gatchalian

Ratification

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