Risa Hontiveros on Monday, 29 December, said the 2026 national budget is expected to strengthen the government’s crackdown on sexual abuse of women and children.

Funding for the National Coordination Center Against Online Sexual Abuse or Exploitation of Children and Child Sexual Abuse or Exploitation Materials (NCC-OSAEC-CSAEM) will increase by P42.5 million under the General Appropriations Bill (GAB).

This is on top of the initial P28-million allocation under the National Expenditure Program, bringing the NCC-OSAEC-CSAEM’s total funding to around P70.5 million for 2026.

“I am happy that the 2026 budget includes the higher funding we pushed for the NCC- OSAEC CSAEM - for a more effective crackdown against online sexual abuse of women and children next year,” Hontiveros said.

Hontiveros voted “yes” on the ratification of the Bicameral Conference Committee report, saying the reforms secured by the Senate this year, including the first open bicameral sessions and the budget transparency portal, must become the “new normal.”

“They are ingredients to push for even more transparency and accountability in the coming budget years,” she said.

“In this new system, the open bicam and other transparency reforms allow the public to better participate, increase attributability of legislators in budget decisions, and begin to get rid of blind spots which enable corruption,” she added.

Hontiveros, however, noted that some reforms the Senate pushed for, including a substantial cut in unprogrammed funds, were not carried in the final version. She said it remains an improvement that the bicameral version includes safeguards aimed at preventing unprogrammed funds from becoming slush funds.

“As we ratify the bicam version of the 2026 General Appropriations Bill, we now begin the next part of our mandate - maintaining a watchful eye on the implementation of the government’s programs and services. We need constant vigilance to ensure the effective and honest execution of the funds we will approve,” she added.

On Monday, the Senate ratified the Bicameral Conference Committee report on the 2026 GAB, which proposes a P6.793-trillion national budget for next year.

The ratified version of the 2026 GAB will then be sent to Malacañang for Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s signature.