Manila: The bicameral conference committee on the proposed 2026 General Appropriations Act (GAA) is facing a deadlock following the Department of Public Works and Highways' (DPWH) request to restore around PHP45 billion in budget cuts, but lawmakers said deliberations remain on track.
According to Philippines News Agency, Senate Committee on Finance chairperson Sherwin Gatchalian stated that the Senate contingent decided to defer the third bicameral meeting scheduled for 4 p.m. to allow further discussions with the House of Representatives and the DPWH on the request. Gatchalian acknowledged the impasse but emphasized that efforts are underway to move negotiations forward. He expressed his commitment to finding a solution and maintaining open communication with the House and DPWH.
Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo Lacson commented on the situation, highlighting that DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon should not blame the Senate for alleged lapses in the computation of construction materials price data (CMPD) adjustments. Lacson asserted that the Senate would only consider the request if the DPWH first acknowledges its own computational errors.
Lacson further warned that blaming the Senate could exacerbate the deadlock and reiterated that the Senate had not made any mistakes. The Senate is expected to resume the bicameral conference on Wednesday, aiming to ratify the 2026 GAA on Dec. 22, just before the regular session adjournment on Dec. 23.
In a separate development, the bicameral committee approved a PHP1.38-trillion budget for education, marking it as the largest in the country's history. Sen. Bam Aquino, chair of the Senate Committee on Basic Education, stated that the budget includes significant allocations for the implementation of Republic Act 10931, additional funding for the Tertiary Education Subsidy (TES), classroom construction, and the School-Based Feeding Program.
The committee also accepted Aquino's proposal to add PHP500 million under the Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses of the Higher Education Development Program. This funding is specifically allotted for Financial Support for students' Related Learning Experience (RLE) requirements in Allied Health Sciences Programs. A special provision in the 2026 budget ensures one-time financial support for students in these programs to cover their RLE expenses.
Allied health sciences programs benefiting from this provision include Nursing, Medical Technology/Medical Laboratory Science, Pharmacy, Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Respiratory Therapy, Radiologic Technology, Midwifery, Nutrition and Dietetics, Speech-Language Pathology, Human Biology/Pre-Med Allied Programs, Dentistry, Biochemistry, and Psychology.
