The bicameral conference committee on House Bill No. 4058, or the proposed 2026 General Appropriations Act, formally opened its deliberations on Saturday at the Philippine International Convention Center in Pasay City.
The session marked the first time that a national budget bicameral conference has been livestreamed and opened to the public.
The meeting was formally convened by Senate Committee on Finance Chairperson Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, who heads the Senate panel, together with House Committee on Appropriations Chairperson and Nueva Ecija 1st District Rep. Mikaela Angela Suansing.
The bicameral conference committee is tasked with reconciling conflicting provisions of the proposed PHP6.793-trillion national budget for 2026, with deliberations expected to span two days.
In his opening remarks, Gatchalian described the bicameral conference as Congress’ most important legislative exercise each year.
“Every year, Congress convenes as a single body to finalize at bicam its most important legislation—discussing the varying perspectives of each chamber and reconciling their fiscal priorities to craft a national budget that is coherent, transparent, and responsive to the needs of the Filipino people,” he said.
Gatchalian noted that deliberations on the 2026 national budget are being conducted under extraordinary circumstances, citing concerns over public trust following corruption issues linked to flood control projects.
“This year finds us in extraordinary times. The 2026 national budget is being deliberated upon as the nation grapples with the corruption revealed in the flood control scandal,” he said, adding that Congress must act to “repair our social contract with the people we have sworn to serve.”
He said both chambers responded by strengthening transparency measures, highlighting that for the first time, the bicameral conference committee’s budget deliberations are being livestreamed for public access.
“This is a recognition that the Filipino people are the ultimate stakeholders of every peso in the national budget. As such, they have a right to know exactly where their taxes go,” Gatchalian said.
He also emphasized the constitutional role of the bicameral conference committee in reconciling the House-passed appropriations bill with Senate amendments, expressing hope that the process would uphold the will of the people.
“Not only to preserve the integrity of the legislative system, but to ensure that in this national budget, the will and power of the Filipino people will prevail,” he said.
Meanwhile, Suansing said the bicameral conference is “the actualization of the House’s commitment, made as early as August— even before budget deliberations began—to open and livestream the bicameral conference committee proceedings.”
She said the move would ensure that the 2026 budget is not only transparent and equipped with adequate safeguards against abuse, but also provides funding for projects that directly address the needs of the people.
“We are here not only to reconcile disagreeing provisions of the 2026 budget, but to continue structural reforms that place transparency at the center of how public funds are allocated,” Suansing said.