House to resume deliberations on proposed 2027 budget on August 24, 2026

The House appropriations panel will resume deliberations on the proposed P7.2-trillion national budget for 2027 on Monday, August 24, House appropriations panel chairperson and Nueva Ecija Representative Michaela Suansing said Wednesday.

She issued the statement in light of two straight days of work cancellations this week due to the heavy rainfall and flooding brought about by the monsoon rains in Luzon and Metro Manila.

Suansing said that under the revised schedule, Day 2 of the budget deliberations on Monday will put the proposed 2027 budget of the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation, the Department of Trade and Industry, the Department of Justice, the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office, and the Department of Science and Technology on deck.

“We have adjusted our schedule to make up for the hearings that could not proceed because of the inclement weather. We have a responsibility to thoroughly scrutinize the proposed national budget, but we also have a timetable to meet. We intend to do both,” she said.

Only the Department of Budget and Management and the Development Budget Coordination Committee (DBCC) have presented their proposed budget for 2027 before the House appropriations panel so far.

Likewise, Suansing said the revised scheduling will include House appropriations panel conducting simultaneous deliberations of proposed budget of different agencies, instead of discussing one proposed budget of an agency at a time, when the need arises.

“The revised calendar compresses several agency briefings into each hearing day, with simultaneous hearings in different venues when necessary. Under the current schedule, committee-level budget hearings will run through September 8,” she added.

Other departments and agencies scheduled to present their proposed budget next week are the Department of National Defense, the Office of the Ombudsman, the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development, and the Commission on Audit on August 25; the Department of Public Works and Highways, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, and the Department of Migrant Workers on August 26; and the Office of the President, the Department of the Interior and Local Government, the Commission on Higher Education, and the Presidential Communications Office on August 27.

Hearings will continue in September for other major agencies including the Departments of Agriculture, Health, Energy, Transportation, Education, Social Welfare and Development, and Labor and Employment, as well as the Office of the Vice President, Judiciary and other constitutional offices.

Suansing said the committee is also building enough flexibility into its calendar to account for possible further disruptions without sacrificing the quality of congressional scrutiny.

“We know there may be other circumstances beyond our control that could affect the schedule. We are factoring those possibilities into our planning now so that, even if adjustments become necessary, we can still meet our target for completing the budget process,” she said.

“Hindi natin isasakripisyo ang masusing pagsusuri sa budget para lamang makahabol sa schedule. Our goal remains the same: a budget that is carefully and transparently examined, responsive to the needs of our people, and approved on time,” she added.

(We won’t be setting aside comprehensive scrutiny just to be able to pass the budget on time.) — BM, GMA News