Bicam-approved 2026 budget bill ratified

Both chambers of Congress yesterday separately ratified the bicameral conference committee report on the proposed P6.352-trillion national budget for 2026, clearing the final legislative hurdle before the measure is transmitted to Malacañang for review and signing.

- By NEIL JAYSON SERVALLOS and DELON PORCALLA

Through a voice vote, the Senate ratified the bicameral report, with two members of the minority voting no and several others voting yes with reservations.

"This is one of the most important pieces of legislation that we are mandated to do, and the 1987 Constitution has entrusted this task to us — passing the yearly national budget," Speaker Faustino Dy III said.

The House version of the national budget program is contained in House Bill 4058.

Senators Rodante Marcoleta and Robin Padilla voted no due to their disagreement with certain provisions that they said may be prone to corruption, particularly those in financial aid programs and unprogrammed appropriations.

"I voted in favor of the Senate version because it reflected hours of rigorous scrutiny. But after the bicameral conference committee meetings, it seems the allocation we tried hard to check has returned its original form. It seems we have let our guard down in deterring provisions prone to abuse and political patronage," Marcoleta said in a manifestation.

Senators Panfilo Lacson, Loren Legarda, JV Ejercito, Francis Pangilinan, Risa Hontiveros and Juan Miguel Zubiri voted yes, but with reservations on financial assistance programs and unprogrammed allocations.

"It is very unfortunate that some of the reforms we are pushing for, including an overwhelming cut in unprogrammed funds, are not carried in this budget. Still, it is an improvement that the bicam version includes safeguards aimed at preventing unprogrammed funds from becoming slush funds," Hontiveros said.