00:00There are barely three weeks left till time runs out of the enactment of the proposed 2026 national budget into law.
00:07And the legislature is on rush mode while reserving enough strength and speed for the homestretch push.
00:13Even as the bicameral conference committee deliberations are set to kick off this week after the 2026 GAB hurdled third and final reading earlier today.
00:24Our Luisa Erispe has the details.
00:26Senators unanimously voted today to approve the proposed 6.793 trillion pesos budget for 2026.
00:36With 17 affirmative, zero negative and zero abstained votes, House Bill No. 4058 or the General Appropriations Bill passed to the third and final reading.
00:47With 17 affirmative votes, no negative votes, no abstention, House Bill 4058 is approved on third reading.
00:54According to Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, Chair of the Committee on Finance, the approved bill is not only transparent but with discipline and does not contain any form of corruption.
01:05We have worked together to create a budget that has been strengthened at every stage.
01:11Sa ating mahabang pagtatalakay, dalawang mahalagang layunin ang ating binabalikan.
01:18Una, ang pagpapalakas ng mga programa ng pamalaan para matugunan ang pangangailangan ng ating mga kababayan.
01:26Pangalawa, panatilihing bukas at matibay ang ating proseso laban sa anumang anyo ng korupsyon.
01:32Through our collective work, the 2026 budget is now more transparent, more disciplined, and more accountable than before.
01:41One of the highlights of the proposed fund is the largest allocation for education amounting to 1.37 trillion pesos.
01:49This is 91 billion pesos higher than the House version.
01:52This is for the construction of 24,000 classrooms, for feeding programs, and for additional funds for the state, universities, and colleges.
02:00Another large allocation went to health for hospital funding and for the implementation of the zero balance billing.
02:07And also, the funds for the rehabilitation of areas struck by calamities also increased.
02:13But though Senator Pia Cayetano voted in favor of the passage of the budget, she has reservations.
02:19According to her, earmarked funds for PhilHealth should still be discussed in the bicameral conference.
02:26There is a concerted effort, Mr. President, to disregard this law that we passed.
02:31There's a concerted effort to pretend that we truly care about the health of the Filipino people,
02:36and yet, earmarked fundings do not go to PhilHealth.
02:40So, Mr. President, I hope that my statements do not fall on deaf ears.
02:49There is still a chance. There is still the bicam.
02:51Now that the proposed budget is approved by the Senate, the bicameral conference has been scheduled this week.
03:04But Senator Irwin Tufo, Vice Chair of the Committee on Finance, said there are some salons complaining about the live streaming of the bicam,
03:13not from the Senate, but from the lower house.
03:15The Senate, the president, the bicameral conference, said there are some salons complaining about the bicameral conference.
03:45President Pro Temporay Panfil Olaxo, said their counterparts should pass a resolution for the live streaming.
03:52If we passed a resolution, there are no counterparts. We passed a resolution here, right?
03:57So, what do we need to do? What do we need to do?
04:00Senate President Vicente Soto III said they will not allow the cancellation of the live streaming of the bicam.
04:06He insists that this is also what President Ferdinand R. Marcus Jr. wants, transparent deliberations of the budget.
04:13So, namin, naka-open, kitang-kitang ng publiko, sino-sino naglagay lang ganito, sino-sino nagpasok niyan,
04:21anong budget para sa mga pita, sa mga pinakamahalaga, Desk Ed, DOH.
04:29Meanwhile, House of Representatives Committee on Appropriations Chairperson, Representative Mika Swanseng,
04:35clarified that the House is supportive of the open bicam conference.
04:39At naging masaya po ako kasi last week po ba, last week po, mismong si Presidente Bongbong Marcos na po yung nagsabi na ilivestream po yung bicameral conference committee.
04:52So, again, the House is very much in support. I believe Speaker Bojie D. has also said the same.
04:58He came out with a statement supporting the open bicameral conference committee deliberation.
05:03So, very supportive din po ako pagdating po sa open bicam.
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