Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri on Tuesday said the responsibility now shifts to the Executive branch following the Senate’s ratification of the proposed P6.793-trillion General Appropriations Bill (GAB) for 2026, which he described as the “most transparent national budget” in recent history.
Zubiri said the budget process was conducted entirely in full public view and set a benchmark for openness that future Congresses should uphold.
“The ball is now with the Executive to implement it with the same daylight the Senate showed, while we keep watch on delivery,” Zubiri said.
He expressed hope that succeeding legislatures, including the 21st, 22nd, and 23rd Congresses, would maintain the same standard.
“This should be the new normal for the budget process,” he added.
According to Zubiri, the Senate ensured transparency from the initial briefings to the final gavel. Budget hearings were livestreamed, side-by-side budget matrices were made publicly available, and every adjustment in allocations was accompanied by clear authorship and explanation, allowing citizens to independently review and verify the figures.
The Senate also imposed what Zubiri described as a “hard verification step” before ratification to prevent irregularities.
“We did not sign if the conference report did not match the enrolled copy,” he said.
“No midnight insertions, no ‘for later identification,’ and no item without a clear program of work, specific location with exact coordinates, and a defined timeline,” he added.
Zubiri acknowledged that legislative amendments to the budget can benefit the public but stressed that these must meet strict requirements, including proper costing, complete documentation, and supporting resolutions from barangays and municipalities.
For major projects, he said approval from the Regional Development Council and a formal agency request must be on file.
“Only in this way can amendments translate to real outcomes that families can actually feel,” he said.
With the budget now ratified, Zubiri urged the Executive branch to carry the measure “across the finish line” with the same commitment to transparency demonstrated by the Senate.
He also vowed continued legislative oversight of national spending, noting that the “transparency standards applied to the 2026 budget would also govern future appropriations, special purpose funds, and other spending measures.”
“We will defend it, improve it, and make sure public funds really work for Filipino families,” Zubiri said.