The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) expressed confidence on Tuesday that the proposed P6.793-trillion national budget for 2026 will be passed before the end of the year, easing fears of a reenacted budget.
At the sidelines of the Philippine Conference on Women, Peace & Security in Pasay City, Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman said deliberations in both chambers of Congress remain on track.
“We are still on schedule,” Pangandaman told reporters, citing the legislative calendars for budget hearings.
She also brushed off concerns that the government may operate under a reenacted budget next year, noting that the House-approved version of the General Appropriations Bill (GAB) and the Senate’s ongoing deliberations remain “consistent with the President’s National Expenditure Program (NEP).”
Earlier this month, the House of Representatives approved House Bill 4058, its version of the 2026 budget, with realignments that raised the allocation for education to a record P1.28 trillion.
The House also moved to realign the entire P255 billion initially allocated to the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) for locally funded flood control projects, after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ordered a review of allegedly anomalous items.
Pangandaman said the adjustments in the DPWH’s budget were part of the normal legislative process.
“It’s welcome… this is part of the process,” she said.
On Monday, the Senate Finance Committee approved the DPWH’s proposed 2026 budget at P625.78 billion, down from the P881.31 billion in the NEP, after removing flood control items linked to substandard or ghost projects.
Pangandaman earlier warned that a reenacted budget could hurt the economy, as it would freeze new projects and limit public spending.
President Marcos previously said he would veto any budget that strays too far from the NEP, emphasizing the need for transparency.
“The bicam talks are open and on track.”
He also ordered that bicameral budget deliberations be livestreamed, following discussions with Senate President Vicente Sotto III and House Speaker Faustino “Bojie” Dy III.
Pangandaman said she remains optimistic: “The President may veto if it veers too much from the NEP, but we’re confident that won’t happen.”
She noted, there is no reason to fear a reenacted budget as the hearings in Congress are still on schedule.
