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House plenary debates on 2026 budget to be shortened Friday due to 'Opong'

Philippines | National

House plenary debates on 2026 budget to be shortened Friday due to 'Opong'

By Ellson Quismorio

At A Glance

The House of Representatives will cut short the plenary debates on the P6.793-trillion General Appropriations Bill (GAB) or the proposed national budget for 2026 on Friday, Sept. 26 due to the expected inclement weather.

The House of Representatives (Ellson Quismorio/ MANILA BULLETIN)

The House of Representatives (Ellson Quismorio/ MANILA BULLETIN)

The House of Representatives will cut short the plenary debates on the P6.793-trillion General Appropriations Bill (GAB) or the proposed national budget for 2026 on Friday, Sept. 26 due to the expected inclement weather.

The directive came from House Secretary General Cheloy Garafil and was shared to reporters on Thursday night, Sept. 25.

"In view of the inclement weather brought about by Tropical Storm Opong, work in the House of Representatives hall be suspended on September 26, 2025, Friday. However, offices performing essential functions are expected to ensure the uninterrupted delivery of critical services," a one-page advisory read.

"Plenary budget deliberations shall proceed from 9:00 A.M. --12:30 P.M.," it added.

"The House leadership remains committed to safeguarding the welfare of its employees and will continue to implement measures to ensure their safcty and well-being," it further read.

The lower chamber began the grueling per agency plenary debates on the proposed 2026 outlay last Tuesday.

The proceedings typically last 15 hours or more, depending on the agency or department being tackled on the floor.

To ensure the timely passage of the P6.793-trillion GAB, congressmen intend to finish the debates on Oct 10.

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