Jauhn Etienne Villaruel

Speaker Martin Romualdez delivers his speech as he steps down from his post as Speaker of the House of Representatives on Wednesday, September 17, 2025. Members of the 20th Congress of the Lower House are currently casting their votes for the next Speaker of the House, with Isabela 6th District Rep. Faustino 'Bojie' Dy III poised to take over the chamber’s leadership. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News

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HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Vivienne Gulla

ABS-CBN News

<p>MANILA (<strong>UPDATED</strong>) — Both chambers of Congress on Monday ratified the bicameral conference committee report on the proposed P6.7 trillion national budget for 2026.</p><p>The budget&#x27;s enrolled bill will then be transmitted to Malacañang. </p><p>President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is expected to sign the budget on January 5.</p><p>During the House plenary session, the lower chamber voting via viva voce or voice voting, ratified the bicam report that reconciled the disagreeing provisions in the House&#x27;s and the Senate&#x27;s versions of the 2026 budget proposal.</p><p>The session ended in less than a minute. </p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/12/28/house-senate-sign-bicam-report-on-2026-national-budget-1807">READ: Bicam report on &#x27;people-centered&#x27; 2026 national budget signed</a></div><p>During the brief session, a faint voice could be heard calling the attention of the Speaker, but no one was recognized. Some lawmakers from the House minority later expressed their disappointment over the lack of opportunity to explain their vote against the bicam report ratification after the voting.</p><p>&quot;Nandoon pa lang ako sa pintuan noong narinig ko na &#x27;yung aye and nay votes. And I was looking at my watch. It was just about 2:02 in the afternoon and it was set to be at 2 o&#x27;clock. So nagulat na lang ako na nag-uumpisa na pala &#x27;yung botohan. So ano kayang pasabog ito na napakabilis na mga pangyayari yung pagraratify nung bicam report?&quot; House Deputy Minority and ML Party List Representative Leila de Lima said.</p><p>&quot;Yes, aye and nay votes, pero ang pagkakaintindi ko dyan ay pwede naman na maglahad ng explanation &#x27;yung mga nag-register ng no votes,&quot; she added. &quot;Napakabilis ng pangyayari. Immediately, nag-move na to adjourn at in-adjourn na.&quot;</p><p>&quot;So nakakagulat, nakakadismaya, na ganoon kabilis yung ginawa nila. Mukhang, you know, orchestrated, syempre, &#x27;yung ganyang mga laro.&quot;</p><p>De Lima and Senior Deputy Minority Leader Caloocan City 2nd District Representative Edgar Erice are opposed to the continued existence of the Unprogrammed Appropriations in the bicam-approved budget for next year, proposed to be at over P243 billion.</p><p>Erice said he will question the UA before the Supreme Court if not vetoed by the President, saying it is &quot;unconstitutional.&quot;</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/12/28/lacson-guarding-use-of-2026-budget-next-challenge-for-public-0922">READ: Guarding use of 2026 budget ‘next challenge’ for public -- Lacson</a></div><p>&quot;Maliwanag sa Section 7, Article 22 ng ating Saligang Batas na dapat yung budget of expenditures mayroong source of financing. &#x27;Yung unprogrammed funds, wala. Ito ay isang shadow budget na ina-authorize ng Kongreso, pero nasa executive ang discretion. Pangalawa, ito &#x27;yung distortion ng power of the purse. Dapat kami lang sa Kongreso &#x27;yung may kapangyarihan para dito. At ito, prone to abuse,&quot; he explained.</p><p>Davao City 1st District Representative Paolo “Pulong” Duterte also expressed opposition to the proposed 2026 national budget.</p><p>&quot;I voted NO on the FY 2026 General Appropriations Bill because I cannot, in good conscience, support a budget riddled with unanswered questions, uneven allocations, and questionable insertions… Until accountability is real and the process is clean, I will not legitimize a system that treats public funds as an open jar,&quot; he said.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>NOT PORK-FREE?</strong></div><p>Lawmakers from the Makabayan bloc, meanwhile, believe pork continues to exist in the bicam-approved budget.</p><p>&quot;Hindi rin totoo na pork-free ang budget na ito. Totoo, binawasan ang pork sa DPWH pero inilipat naman sa iba,&quot; said House Deputy Minority Leader and ACT Teachers Party List Representative Antonio Tinio.</p><p>&quot;Buhay na buhay ang pork… &#x27;Yung mismong presensya ng bilyun-bilyong mga ayuda na very prone talaga historically sa corruption, sa misuse at sa abuse,&quot; added Gabriela Party List Representative Sarah Elago.</p><p>These claims were disputed by House Committee on Appropriations Chairperson and Nueva Ecija 1st District Representative Mikaela Suansing.</p><p>&quot;Wala pong pork barrels sa 2026 GAA at makikita n&#x27;yo po na mayroon pa ngang safeguard na inilagay tayo, which again is that prohibition on political involvement in the distribution of cash and other financial aid,&quot; she insisted.</p><p>Meanwhile, House Deputy Speaker and Antipolo City 1st District Representative Ronaldo Puno is seeking clarification on a special provision in the proposed budget that prohibits political involvement in the distribution of cash and other types of financial aid. </p><p>For Puno, it does not cover guarantee letters.</p><p>&quot;If you follow the provisions of the bicam, it&#x27;s not clear,&quot; he said. &quot;But definitely, if you consider a guarantee letter as a public official using his position to get the fund, baka magka-problema tayo doon.&quot;</p><p>&quot;But if it&#x27;s understood to be what it really is, which is merely a referral letter, in order that the Department of Health will help the patient involved. Eh sa tingin ko, okay lang ‘yun,&quot; he added.</p><p>In response, Suansing said that the Department of Health will determine how much each patient will get.</p><p>&quot;Ang DOH ang nagtatakda kung magkano ang ibibigay sa bawat pasyente. Sila po ang nag-i-issue ng GL code at nakapaloob po doon kung magkano ang ibibigay sa bawat pasyente,&quot; she explained. &quot;Ang intention po at ang instruction sa atin ng ating mahal na Pangulong Bongbong Marcos ay zero balance billing po ang ating target, lalo na po sa mga government hospitals. Kaya ‘yun po ‘yung intent natin.&quot;</p><div><br/></div><div><br/></div>

<p>Both chambers of Congress on Monday ratified the bicameral conference committee report on the proposed P6.7 trillion national budget for 2026.</p>

Both chambers of Congress on Monday ratified the bicameral conference committee report on the proposed P6.7 trillion national budget for 2026.

Congress ratifies bicam report on proposed 2026 national budget

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Congress ratifies bicam report on proposed 2026 national budget

Vivienne Gulla,

ABS-CBN News

Published Dec 29, 2025 02:13 PM PHT

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Updated Dec 29, 2025 05:19 PM PHT

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