Senate OKs 2026 budget bill on 2nd reading

The Senate has formally approved on second reading the proposed P6.793-trillion national budget for fiscal year 2026. 

Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri moved to close the period of amendments for House Bill No. 4058 under Committee Report No. 18, and approve it on second reading on Thursday afternoon.

Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” Lacson, who sits as presiding officer, approved the motion after no senator objected. 

Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano and Senator Joel Villanueva voted “no" on the approval. 

“This is such a great opportunity for a game changer budget. [But] it doesn’t really promote rural development, the unprogrammed funds are still there,” Cayetano said. 

The Senate Minority Leader, regardless, committed to work with the Senate majority bloc, especially during the bicameral conference committee meetings with members of the House of Representatives. 

Villanueva also said he supports the position of Cayetano. 

During the plenary session, Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, chairman of the Senate committee on finance and sponsor of the budget bill, made the motion for the general summary as amendments to House Bill No. 4058 be accepted. 

He said that the Senate Bills and Index Service has distributed the electronic copy of the general summary of the bill, as amended, via email to the offices of the senators. 

“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 Appropriations Bill,” Gatchalian noted. 

On October 13, the House of Representatives approved on third and final reading its version of the proposed P6.793 trillion national budget for 2026 under HB 4058.

Earlier on Thursday, Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto stood firm that the upper chamber will do everything to ensure that there will be no reenacted budget next year, and that the budget bill would be passed and signed by President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. before the year ends.  

This came after Malacañang urged lawmakers to hasten the passage of the 2026 national budget as Marcos does not want the government to run on a reenacted budget next year, according to Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Claire Castro.

The Senate is expected to approve the bill on third reading on December 9.  

The bicameral meetings between members of the Senate and the House of Representatives would be held on December 11 to 13, while the signing of the 2026 GAA by Marcos is targeted on December 29. — BM/RF, GMA Integrated News