The meeting of the notorious bicameral conference committee (bicam) for the 2026 national budget has been moved to 13 December, a day later, Senate President Vicente Sotto III announced on Thursday.

In a text message to reporters, Sotto explained that the postponement was requested by the technical staff of both the Senate and the House of Representatives, who needed an additional day to reconcile conflicting provisions and amounts in the budget documents, which this year are disaggregated and include technical descriptions for each project.

“We are constrained to move the Bicam to Saturday because the technical staff of both the House and the Senate requested 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,” Sotto said.

Sotto emphasized that transparency remains a priority. 

Full disclosure vowed 

All details, including annexes, will be made available so that the House can examine the Senate’s version and senators can examine the House’s version. 

He also reiterated that the bicam meeting will be open to the public, in line with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s directive, and will be held at the Philippine International Convention Center in Pasay.

Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, who chairs the Senate’s finance panel, echoed Sotto’s explanation, noting that the additional time ensures thorough preparation. 

House Committee on Appropriations chairperson Mika Suansing added that intensive preparations are needed since this will be the first bicam meeting to be live-streamed.

Senators named as bicam conferees include Gatchalian, Mark Villar, Pia Cayetano, JV Ejercito, Loren Legarda, Kiko Pangilinan, Erwin Tulfo, Camille Villar, Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, Christopher “Bong” Go and Imee Marcos.

The bicameral panel is tasked with producing a reconciled version of the national budget for 2026. 

Once completed, the bill will be returned to both chambers of Congress for ratification before being transmitted to President Marcos for signing into law.