Despite delays, Gatchalian eyes Dec. 29 signing of 2026 budget
By Dhel Nazario
Published Dec 1, 2025 02:54 pm
At A Glance
- Senator Sherwin Gatchalian on Monday, December 1 outlined the Senate's revised timetable for the passage of the proposed 2026 national budget, saying the chamber is still aiming to have the measure signed into law by December 29 despite disruptions caused by a weekend fire.
Senator Sherwin Gatchalian on Monday outlined the Senate’s revised timetable for the passage of the proposed 2026 national budget, saying the chamber is still aiming to have the measure signed into law by December 29 despite disruptions caused by a weekend fire.
Senator Sherwin Gatchalian (Senate PRIB photo)
In an interview on Monday, December 1, Gatchalian said the Senate had originally planned to begin the period of amendments on Monday, approve the budget on second reading the following day, and give members time to review the clean copy before third reading.
But the schedule slipped by a day after the fire forced the suspension of work in the chamber.
“So, today sana yung period of amendments and then tomorrow sana yung second reading and then we'll give the members some time to look at the clean copy (So, today was supposed to be the period of amendments, and tomorrow was supposed to be the second reading, and then we’ll give the members some time to review the clean copy),” he said.
“Pero since umurong lang naman ng one day, so tomorrow will be the period of amendments and then hopefully matapos namin lahat (But since it was only pushed back by one day, tomorrow will be the period of amendments and then hopefully we can finish everything),” he added.
Gatchalian said the Senate now aims to complete second reading on Wednesday, December 3, and approve the budget on third reading on Tuesday, December 9.
The one-day gap between the period of amendments and second reading, he said, ensures senators have time to review changes — a departure from previous years when amendments, second reading, and third reading were sometimes completed in a single day.
“So ngayon (now) we will give time to the members to read the amendments,” he said.
After the third reading, the Senate expects to finalize bicameral conference committee work between December 11 and 13, with the bicam report targeted for signing on December 16. The tentative date for the President’s signing of the budget bill is December 29.
“Tapos, hopefully, masign namin yung bicam report December 16. Tapos, ang tentative na signing ng budget will be December 29 (After that, hopefully, we can sign the bicam report on December 16. Then, the tentative signing of the budget will be on December 29),” Gatchalian said.
Session on a holiday
Gatchalian said the fire, which left the session hall soaked and caused its ceiling to collapse, prompted him to ask senators to hold session on Tuesday, December 2, even though it is a holiday. He said delaying the period of amendments to Wednesday would almost certainly push back the rest of the schedule.
“Actually, ang pinakausapan ko na lang yung mga kasamahan natin na mag-session tayo bukas kahit na holiday (Actually, what I discussed with our colleagues was to hold a session tomorrow even though it’s a holiday),” he said.
“Kasi kung mag-session tayo ng Wednesday for period of amendments, talagang madi-delay yun (Because if we hold the session on Wednesday for the period of amendments, it will definitely be delayed),” he added.
He said senators agreed to report for work, while only employees directly needed for session operations would also be required to report.
Bicam preparations, transparency efforts
Gatchalian said the Senate is preparing to hold the bicameral conference committee meetings at a government-owned venue in Intramuros, which will be provided free of charge, with the Senate only paying for catering.
He said the bicam is tentatively scheduled for December 11 to 13, though the duration will depend on how long discussions take.
“Hopefully naman in those three days, makahanap naman kami ng agreement (Hopefully, during those three days, we will be able to reach an agreement),” he said.
The sessions will be streamed live, following a suggestion from Senate President Vicente ”Tito" Sotto III. Asked about the process so far, Gatchalian said transparency measures are being implemented. The committee report has already been uploaded online, and civil society groups have asked for copies.
He added that the third reading version of the budget would also be uploaded — something he said had not been done in past budget cycles.
Key dates, according to Gatchalian are the following:
Dec. 2: Period of amendments
Dec. 3: Approval on second reading
Dec. 9: Approval on third reading
Dec. 11–13: Bicameral conference committee meetings (tentative)
Dec. 16: Target signing of bicam report
Dec. 29: Tentative signing of the 2026 national budget
“Malapit na. Malapit na. Talagang paspasan siya (It’s almost there. Almost there. We’re really speeding things up),” Gatchalian said of the final stretch of deliberations.
Reenacted budget
Gatchalian also acknowledged Monday that the timeline for the 2026 budget remains tight, raising concerns about the possibility of a reenacted budget if delays occur. He noted that with the bicameral conference committee targeted to sign its report on December 16 and the President’s signing tentatively set for December 29, there is little room for error.
“Ako meron. Meron rin akong fear (I do have concerns. I’m also worried),” Gatchalian said.
“If you look at the timeline, ang ratification, December 17. So, ibig sabihin, mag-overtime sila para ma-enroll yung copy. If you look at the signing in Malacañang, December 29, so, that's two days before the New Year medyo tight siya. Medyo tight. So, everyone should really work overtime,” he added, stating that the Senate staff have already been working extra hours to keep the process on track.
When asked about the possibility of a reenacted budget, Gatchalian said that under the current schedule, it is unlikely.
“With our schedule right now, wala. Hopefully, wala naman accident. So hopefully, wala naman magiging natural calamities (With our current schedule, there’s none [no risk]. Hopefully, there will be no accidents. And hopefully, there will be no natural calamities)," he said.
He stressed that the Senate is taking measures to ensure the timeline is met, including holding sessions even on holidays to make up for lost time.