Senate aligns bills with LEDAC

The Philippine Senate in 2025 pursued a legislative agenda that aligned with priority policy areas identified by the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC), filing more than 1,600 measures and ending the year with the ratification of the P6.793-trillion national budget for 2026.

As of 17 December, the Senate had filed 1,625 bills during the first regular session of the 20th Congress. The measures covered governance reforms, social protection, health, education, agriculture, energy, and digital services, sectors that require coordination between the executive and legislative branches.

During the first full LEDAC meeting of the 20th Congress, Senate President Vicente Sotto III said aligning executive and congressional priorities through a common legislative agenda was necessary to move measures forward. Discussions focused on healthcare, education, agriculture, energy security, governance and digital reforms.

“These priorities reflect our collective effort to ensure that policies are responsive to immediate needs and consistent with long-term development goals,” Sotto said.

Legislative measures

Among the proposals filed and deliberated on were measures supporting farmers and fisherfolk, expanding social protection and health services for vulnerable sectors, and addressing education, nutrition, energy, water and digital infrastructure.

On the plenary floor, the Senate approved three bills on second reading: the Classroom-Building Acceleration Program Act, the Comprehensive Lupus Prevention Act, and the Health Outreach for Seniors and Indigents Program.

Other LEDAC-aligned measures advanced through committee hearings and consolidation. The Senate also acted on 206 resolutions, adopting 31, and approved all seven Senate concurrent resolutions filed during the session.

2026 budget

The Senate capped the session by ratifying the bicameral conference committee report on House Bill No. 4058, the proposed P6.793-trillion General Appropriations Bill for fiscal year 2026.

On 28 December, the bicameral conference committee signed the report on the proposed national budget. The reconciled version emphasized allocations for education, health and agriculture.

Senate Finance Committee Chair Sherwin Gatchalian said the signing was delayed due to additional adjustments aimed at improving transparency and clarity in the budget process.

The bicameral report reconciled the differences between the House and Senate versions of the spending measure and was ratified separately by both chambers on 29 December. The measure was then transmitted to Malacañang for the President’s signature.