Bicam panel talks on 2026 budget to continue on Monday, Dec. 15

The deliberations of the bicameral conference committee on the proposed P6.793-trillion national budget for 2026 will be continued on Monday, December 15.

The panel conducted discussions on the proposed funding of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) for more than three hours on Sunday afternoon – the second day of the bicameral committee’s deliberations – starting at 4:50 p.m. with Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon in attendance. 

Dizon was invited to discuss the technical aspects of the DPWH’s appeal to restore funds that were deducted from its proposed budget due to reductions based on the Construction Materials Price Data.

The DPWH chief said they are not requesting the restoration of infrastructure projects that were removed from the proposed 2026 budget, adding that the cost of project materials will decrease. 

The session was suspended at 8:14 p.m. When it resumed at 10:33 p.m., House Appropriations Committee chairperson Rep. Mikaela Suansing and Senate Finance Committee chairperson Sherwin Gatchalian called for the suspension of the deliberations until 4 p.m. of Monday.

The DPWH’s budget for 2026 has not yet been approved. 

The bicameral conference committee hearing was supposed to begin on December 12, but it was moved to December 13.

This is because the technical staff of both the House and the Senate asked for one more day to “craft the details of the matrix and reconcile the conflicting provisions and amounts, given that budget documents this year are disaggregated and the technical descriptions are included per project,” said Senate President Tito Sotto III. 

Earlier, Malacañang said the enrolled copy of the 2026 General Appropriations Bill would likely be submitted to President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. for his review and approval before Christmas Day. — JMA, GMA Integrated News