No last-minute insertions or amendments will be allowed once the Senate and House of Representatives convene for the bicameral conference committee on the proposed 2027 national budget, Senate Finance Committee chief Sen. Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito said. 

Ejercito made this assurance after the Senate formally received the National Expenditure Program for 2027, which stands at P7.2-trillion last Tuesday, August 11.

"We are making it clear now that last-minute insertions or amendments will no longer be permitted in the bicameral conference committee. All programs and funding requests must be discussed in plenary by both Houses,” Ejercito said in a statement.

“We will continue with the reforms such as the use of the Budget Transparency Portal where comments or positions papers on the budget can be submitted, the implementation of clear criteria for assessing budget amendment requests, like utilization rate; and livestreaming and opening bicameral discussions to the public,” Ejercito said.

The Senate finance panel, the senator said, will also pursue conducting public hearings along with representatives of Civil Society Organizations. 

“Along with these, we also acknowledge the issues that have occurred and will ensure that they do not recur,” Ejercito said.

"As a health advocate and the principal author and sponsor of Universal Health Care Law, we also welcome the P19-billion allocation for the UHC Fund for the Zero-Balance Billing Program in DOH (Department of Health) and local government unit (LGU) hospitals,” he said.

Ejercito also cited the proposed P24.2-billion for the Medical Assistance to Indigent and Financially-Incapacitated Patients Program (MAIFIP), P3.8-billion for the Cancer Assistance Fund, and P14.5-billion for the Health Facilities Enhancement Program (HFEP) to improve the country's public hospitals and health facilities.

"These investments are crucial because our goal should be clear: when a Filipino gets sick, access to quality healthcare should not depend on how much money they have in their pocket,” he said.

"Walang Pilipino ang dapat matakot na magkasakit dahil sa kawalan ng pambayad sa hospital bills,” added the senator.

Ejercito also welcomed the strong allocation for economic services at P1.833-trillion, particularly for infrastructure development. 

The proposed budget included major investments in transportation and connectivity, including the North-South Commuter Railway, Metro Manila Subway, MRT-3 rehabilitation, and LRT-1 Cavite Extension.

"As I have always said, infrastructure is important to our long-term economic growth. If we have better roads, bridges, railways, and transport systems, this also means better connectivity, more opportunities, more jobs and a more productive economy,” he said.

"The real work begins now. As we go through the 2027 budget, we will carefully examine every allocation and make sure that our limited resources are directed toward programs that truly benefit the Filipino people and support economic growth,” he emphasized.