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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Heavy rains force House to tweak 2027 budget briefings sked

Heavy rains force House to tweak 2027 budget briefings sked

Published Aug 18, 2026 10:21 am

At A Glance

  • Heavy Habagat rains forced the House to postpone its Aug. 18 budget briefing, rescheduling per‑agency NEP hearings to Aug. 24.
  • The chamber adopted a work-from-home arrangement on Aug. 18 under OP Memorandum Circular No. 128, with plenary and committee sessions proceeding virtually via Zoom.
  • Despite disruptions, the House continues deliberations on the P7.2‑trillion 2027 NEP, the basis of the General Appropriations Bill.
(Unsplash)
(Unsplash)


The Habagat-strengthened rains have forced the House of Representatives to reconfigure its schedule for the deliberations on the P7.2-trillion National Expenditure Program (NEP) for 2027.
An advisory from Secretary General Cheloy Garafil on Monday night, Aug. 17 bared that the Committee on Appropriations' scheduled briefing on Tuesday, Aug. 18 would no longer push through.
"The budget briefing scheduled for 18 August 2026 shall not be held and shall be rescheduled to a later date," read the advisory, which was signed by House Speaker Isabela 6th district Rep. Francisco "Bojie" Dy III.
The House’s Monday briefing with the Development Budget Coordination Committee (DBCC) formally kicked off the per-agency deliberations on the proposed 2027 national budget.
The same day, heavy rains inundated various parts of Metro Manila, including Batasan in Quezon City where the House of Representatives is located.
Nueva Ecija 1st district Rep. Mikaela Angela "Mika" Suansing, chairperson of the appropriations panel, had earlier shared a 53-day timeline for the passage of national budget bill from start to finish at the House level.
Suansing announced at the end of the DBCC briefing that the next agency briefing on the NEP would take place next Monday, Aug. 24.
The NEP, which emanates from Malacañang, is the basis of the General Appropriations Bill (GAB) or the annual national budget measure.
Work-from-home Tuesday
Meanwhile, the same advisory announced that the lower chamber would shift to a work-from-home (WFH) arrangement Tuesday due to the inclement weather,
“All officials and employees shall observe a work-from-home (WFH) arrangement, except those whose physical presence is necessary for essential and critical operations, as determined by their respective heads of department,” it read.
The House adopted the arrangement pursuant to Office of the President Memorandum Circular No. 128 dated 17 August 2026.
Despite the adoption of WFH arrangements, legislative work will continue, with the House proceeding with its scheduled plenary session through a virtual platform.
“The plenary session shall proceed as scheduled and shall be conducted virtually through Zoom,” said the advisory.
Scheduled committee meetings will likewise proceed via Zoom, subject to the discretion of their respective committee chairs.
House officials and employees working from home were directed “to remain available and responsive during official working hours and to ensure the continuity of essential legislative and administrative services".
“Everyone is advised to exercise utmost caution and to prioritize their safety and well-being,” the advisory added.

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HABAGAT House of Representatives work-from-home 2027 budget NEP GAB
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