Senator Sherwin Gatchalian rejected on Tuesday, January 6 insinuations that the 2026 national budget was crafted to include efforts to pursue the impeachment of Vice President Sara Duterte. This, after Sen. Imee Marcos, in a video posted on her Facebook page, floated the possibility that the...
The Supreme Court can declare the contentious Unprogrammed Appropriations as unconstitutional, Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian said on Tuesday, January 6. Gatchalian made the remark following President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s decision to veto P92.5-billion unprogrammed items when he signed...
Senators on Monday, Jan. 5, welcomed President Marcos ' move to veto almost P92.5 billion in the 2026 national budget under the unprogrammed appropriations (UA). Marcos signed the P6.793-trillion 2026 General Appropriations Act (GAA) in Malacañan on Monday. In a Viber message, Senate...
Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” Lacson on Thursday, Dec. 18, extolled the efforts the Senate panel that participated in the Bicameral Conference Committee deliberations on the proposed ₱6.793-trillion national budget for 2026. In a statement, Lacson praised its the Senate panel...
Senator Loren Legarda reiterated her stance that funds allocated for Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) should remain with PhilHealth. Legarda made the statement in light of the Supreme Court’s decision directing the government to return the ₱60-billion it earlier took from...
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. In an interview on Monday,...
Senator Loren Legarda has called for full transparency on the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation 's (PhilHealth) funding during the deliberations on the proposed 2026 national budget, stressing that mandated subsidies must be properly allocated and released. In her interpellation on the...
Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo "Ping" Lacson said Saturday, Nov. 15 that former lawmaker Zaldy Co 's recent claims on social media will have to be properly authenticated--that is, made under oath or affirmed in the Philippine consulate of the country where he is now staying--for it to...
Senator Erwin Tulfo on Thursday, Nov. 13, called on the Senate to ensure that the proposed P6.793-trillion national budget for 2026 has no “pork barrel” or discretionary funds allocated to lawmakers. The vice-chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance pointed this out during the first day of...
The Department of Agriculture (DA) is urging lawmakers to refrain from cutting down its proposed budget of ₱176.7 billion next year and instead approve it in full, citing its significance in protecting the livelihood of farmers and fisherfolk. Speaking during his agency’s budget hearing at the...
The Department of Education (DepEd) announced on Wednesday, September 2, that it is studying a historic policy shift that would allow local government units (LGUs) to directly participate in classroom construction—marking a potential departure from the long-standing reliance on the Department of...
Senator Panfilo "Ping" Lacson on Wednesday, Aug. 13, pushed anew to make public the proponents of all amendments - including insertions - in the budget process. Lacson, an eagle-eyed watchdog of the national budget, said this will make the proponents answerable for flood control and other...
