The Bicameral Conference Committee has moved the target ratification of the 2026 national budget from Dec. 22 to Dec. 29.

House Committee on Appropriations Chairperson Nueva Ecija 1st district Rep. Mikaela Angela "Mika" Suansing and Senate Committee on Finance Chairperson Senator Sherwin Gatchalian made this joint announcement before dawn Thursday, Dec. 18, just minutes after concluding the bicam hearings on the P6.793-trillion General Appropriations Bill (GAB).

Although the House and Senate contingents managed to consolidate the disagreeing provisions of the 2026 GAB, harmonizing the numbers, language and the actual printing of the voluminous document will take time.

"Based on the timetable ng mga staff, baka [Dec.] 28 ang pirmahan [ng bicam] and 29 ang ratification. Kasi yung pagbabalanse, pagpi-print...kasi we have to reconcile our numbers with theirs eh. So yan process alone will take four, five days. May Pasko pa, may Noche Buena," Gatchalian said in a chance interview.

(Based on the staff’s timetable, the signing of the bicam might be on [Dec.] 28 and the ratification on the 29. Because of the balancing, the printing… since we have to reconcile our numbers with theirs. That process alone will take four or five days. Plus, there’s Christmas and Noche Buena.)

The bicam discussions--livestreamed for the first time--lasted six days.

Asked when the GAB will be transmitted to President Marcos for his signature, he said, "[Sa] 29 ng hapon na rin. So paspasan talaga (In the afternoon of the 29th. So we're really rushing it)."

This means that the House and Senate will hold plenary sessions up to the 29th. Originally, the final session date of the year for Congress was set on Dec. 17, but it was changed to Dec. 22.

The goal is to have the GAB signed by the President before the end of the calendar year.

Suansing said Congress' legislative calendar will be amended again during the Dec. 22 plenary session to make way for this new timetable.

At any rate, the bicam leaders have ruled out any chance of a reenacted budget fpr 2026.

"Simultaneous na po yung finalization ng enrolled bill ng GAB at yung review ng DBM (Department of Budget and Management) (The finalization of the enrolled bill of the GAB and the DBM's review will now take place simultaneously). So rest assured po that the executive is given enough time to review the GAB before the President signs it," Suansing said.

"We can now confidently say ngayon na tapos na po yung bicam (now that the bicam is finished), there will be no reenacted budget," she underscored.