Senate assures ‘cleanest’ 2026 budget for Marcos

Senate Finance Committee Chairperson Sherwin Gatchalian on Friday said both Houses of Congress aim to pass a 2026 National Budget that is free from insertions and irregularities, following President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s request for a “good” budget.

“That’s the Christmas gift that the Senate can give, a budget that doesn’t have ghost projects. The budget where he knows the project, and infra projects that are transparent and with the specifications that speak for themselves. Also, projects where our fellow Filipinos can go to hospitals without paying anything because of the zero-budget billing amendments, at the same time, more classrooms and education support,” Gatchalian said during an online interview.

He added that, in his view, the budget is complete and that he hopes there will be no major changes.

Gatchalian said some agencies continue to send requests for additional funding to his office and to other senators, but the amendments period has closed. The Senate and House of Representatives are set to begin deliberations on the P6.793-trillion 2026 General Appropriations Bill on 13 December.

“Almost all agencies treat themselves as a priority. Until now, there have been a lot of agencies asking for additional funding. And I said we cannot allow that because it’s already a bicam conference,” he said, without naming specific agencies.

Gatchalian said the budget priorities highlighted by Marcos include education, health, and defense.

The Senate version of the 2026 National Budget allocates P1.37 trillion to education, equivalent to 4.5 percent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP), meeting the 4 to 6 percent benchmark recommended by UNESCO.