Manila: The House of Representatives, led by Speaker Faustino 'Bojie' G. Dy III, suspended its session on Monday for the Christmas break, marking the end of a legislative year defined by significant breakthroughs. A key highlight was the approval of the PHP6.793-trillion 2026 national budget, achieved through the country's inaugural open and livestreamed bicameral conference committee.
According to Philippines News Agency, the developments signify a year of institutional reforms, priority legislation, and modernization efforts, as lawmakers ensured the budget was secured and key measures advanced before the congressional holiday adjournment. In his closing remarks, Speaker Dy emphasized the significance of the open bicameral negotiations as a pivotal moment for transparency in the budget process.
"This was the first open bicam in our history - isang mahalagang hakbang tungo sa mas bukas, mas malinaw, at mas mapagkakatiwalaang proseso ng paggawa ng pambansang budget (an important step towards a more open, clearer and more trusted process in crafting the national budget)," Dy remarked. He asserted that the transparency led to a national budget that the public could trust.
Dy praised the efforts of all House members of the 20th Congress, Majority Leader Ferdinand Alexander 'Sandro' Marcos, House Committee on Appropriations Chair Mikaela Angela Suansing, and the entire House bicameral panel for successfully steering the budget discussions to completion. He described the budget as historic not only due to its transparent process but also because the priorities were clearly defined.
The Speaker noted that the House version of the budget promised tangible benefits for Filipinos, with record allocations for education, healthcare, and agriculture. Education received the largest allocation in Philippine history, equivalent to 4.1 percent of the gross domestic product, with plans for constructing or rehabilitating over 25,000 classrooms and fully funding the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education program.
"This is not just an investment in education. This is an investment in the future of the Filipino nation," Dy stated. Regarding healthcare, he mentioned that the budget would strengthen the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) and the Medical Assistance to Individuals and Financially Incapacitated Patients (MAIFIP) program to ensure zero-balance billing for indigent patients in public hospitals.
Dy also highlighted the increased funding for agriculture to support farmers and fisherfolk through initiatives like farm-to-market roads, irrigation, mechanization, crop insurance, and subsidies. "Ang badyet na ito ay hindi lamang mga numero sa papel. Ito ay pagkain sa hapag, gamot sa ospital, at edukasyong magbubukas ng pinto sa mas maliwanag na bukas (This budget is not just a number on paper. This is food on the table, medicines in hospitals, and education that opens the door to a brighter future)," Dy articulated.
The House of Representatives is scheduled to briefly reconvene on December 29 to ratify the bicameral conference committee report, the final step before President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. signs the budget into law.
