Manila: The public should remain vigilant in guarding government projects even after the approval of the proposed PHP6.793-trillion national budget for 2026, Senator Sherwin Gatchalian said Tuesday. "We have reconciled the numbers, but vigilance must continue from budgeting to implementation if we are to purge corruption from the bureaucracy," Gatchalian said in a statement.

According to Philippines News Agency, the proposed 2026 General Appropriations Act (GAA) has been approved by the bicameral conference committee and now awaits ratification by both chambers of Congress before sending it to President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. for his approval. The chair of the Senate Committee on Finance, Gatchalian stated that while safeguard provisions have been included in the proposed 2026 GAA, there is no substitute for vigilance.

"Vigilance builds a culture of integrity and accountability," he said. "We painstakingly instituted transparency measures in the entire budgeting process. We hope these measures will help encourage our people to be engaged in the implementation of government projects." He pointed out that in the case of infrastructure projects under the Department of Public Works and Highways, the Senate ensured that each project item has unique station numbers and a project description, including coordinates, to enable public monitoring and deter ghost and substandard projects.

The Senate has extended its session calendar to give lawmakers more time to review the proposed national budget. The Senate is expected to ratify the proposed 2026 GAA on Dec. 29 once the enrolled bill is finalized and circulated to all members.