Senate approves P6.793-trillion 2026 budget on 2nd reading
MANILA, Philippines — The Senate has approved on second reading House Bill 4058, or the proposed P6.793-trillion 2026 national budget.
Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano and Sen. Joel Villanueva both voted against the measure.
Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto said the Senate will do everything to ensure there will be no reenacted budget next year.
“We are confident that we will be able to finish it. With the help of everyone, not only the Executive but also the House of Representatives, when we reach the bicam, we will not allow a reenacted budget,” Sotto said in a chance interview.
He said the P6.793 trillion 2026 budget bill would be signed by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. before the year ends.
“As they say, the most corrupt budget is the 2025 budget. That’s not a good thing to happen, so we won’t allow it. I hope it doesn’t happen. We will do everything to prevent it,” he added.
READ: House approves P6.793 trillion 2026 budget bill on 2nd reading
Based on a tentative timetable shared with the media, the Senate is expected to approve the 2026 budget bill on second reading on December 4 and on third reading on December 9.
“We’ll be ready to approve on second reading. And then, after approving it on second reading later, third reading would probably be on Tuesday, Dec. 9. Bicam may be scheduled thereafter,” Sotto said.
The bicameral meetings between the Senate and the House of Representatives are expected to be held on December 11–13, while the signing of the 2026 General Appropriation Act (GAA) by President Marcos is expected on December 29.
“Hopefully, we will be able to finish it. What’s important is we are doing it with transparency, and we’re accountable no matter what the public sees, especially when it comes to the bicam,” Sotto added.
Meanwhile, Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian reported the highlights of the period of amendments and moved that the general summary of amendments to House Bill No. 4058 be accepted.
“The Bills and Index Service has distributed an electronic copy of the general summary of House Bill No. 4058 as amended via email to the offices of the senators. With the consent of the body, I move that the general summary be accepted as the amendment to House Bill No. 4058 and, accordingly, that we close the period of amendment on the measure using the said general summary as our basis,” Gatchalian said during Thursday’s plenary session.
The complete details including the line by line amendments and all pertinent attachments will be made available on Saturday, December 6, prior to the approval on third reading of the fiscal year 2026 General Appropriation Bill (GAB), he added.At the moment, the parliamentary status of the GAB is still in the period of amendments. /jpv
