Senator Sherwin Gatchalian on Monday, 29 December, said the country is now "one step closer" to the enactment of landmark "people-first" budget legislation."

Gatchalian made the statement after the Senate ratified the Bicameral Conference Committee report on the 2026 General Appropriations Bill that proposes a P6.793-trillion national budget for next year.

"The current budget measure, once signed by the President, would be a definitive turning point in terms of fiscal policy, providing focus on human capital development and institutional integrity," he said.

Gatchalian emphasized that the proposed budget legislation was designed to address the most pressing needs of the country while ensuring that safeguards are in place to deter the misuse of public funds.

He added that the measure provides the highest investment in education in the country’s history and further strengthens the health care sector, particularly the government’s zero-balance billing program, bolstered by the return of funds to the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth).

Education remains the single largest investment in the 2026 budget, with total funding reaching P1.35 trillion.

Meanwhile, the health sector's budget was increased to P447.6 billion, including a P129.78-billion allocation for the PhilHealth.

The measure also seeks to improve the country’s food security by allocating a higher budget to the agriculture sector, which has been proposed to receive a funding of P214.39 billion, or what Gatchalian described as the highest allocation for the sector in over a decade.

"By prioritizing education, expanding healthcare access, and supporting farm productivity, we are investing in a more inclusive economic development," he added.

Following the ratification by the Senate and the House of Representatives, the bill will be transmitted to the Office of the President for his approval