Win Gatchalian wants budget calendar adjusted to prevent delays in future

Senate committee on finance chairman Sherwin Gatchalian said Monday that the legislative calendar should be adjusted in order to prevent delays in the budget process in the next years to come. 

Gatchalian said this as he lamented the delayed transmittal of the proposed 2026 national budget to the Office of the President. 

“Aminado ako na hindi perpekto ‘yung proseso, hindi rin perpekto ‘yung budget. Lalo na ang proseso dahil talagang first time na naging open ang bicam, first time na nagkaron ng technical working groups, first time na in-upload ‘yung mga dokumento,” the senator said in a Balitanghali interview. 

(I admit that the process is not perfect, and the budget is not perfect either, especially the process because it was the first time that the bicam was open, that technical working groups were formed, and that the budget documents were uploaded.) 

“Pero ‘yung pareho lang, kahit na first time lahat ‘to, in-apply namin ‘yung dating calendar. Kaya aminado ako na ang pag-transmit ng budget this year ay delayed. Dahil dati, nata-transmit ‘yan second week of December, nata-transmit na sa Executive, nare-review na ng Executive, at napipirmahan bago magtapos ang taon,” he added. 

(Even though all of these were done for the first time, what remained was that we applied the old calendar. So I admit that the budget transmission this year was delayed. Because before, it was already transmitted during the second week of December. By then, the budget was transmitted to the Executive, reviewed by the Executive, and signed before the year ended.) 

President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos is expected to sign the 2026 General Appropriations Act (GAA) in the first week of January, according to Executive Secretary Ralph Recto.

The bicameral conference committee only approved and adopted on Sunday, December 28, the report on the disagreeing provisions of the General Appropriations Bill (GAB), which outlines the P6.793-trillion national budget for 2026.

It is set to be ratified by the Senate and House of Representatives Monday afternoon.

This was almost two weeks later than the supposed date of the signing of the bicam report on December 16. 

Gatchalian said that the old legislative calendar could no longer be used in the future, now that the Congress has adopted a more transparent budget process. 

“‘Yan ang isa sa pinakamahalagang leksyon na nakuha namin, na dapat mag-adjust ang calendar. Tingin ko dapat agahan ang pagbabalangkas ng budget. Hindi pwedeng gamitin na ‘yung dating kalendaryo,” he explained. 

(That's one of the most important lessons we've learned, that the calendar should be adjusted. I think the budget planning should be made early. We can't longer use the old calendar.) —AOL, GMA Integrated News