Screen grabbed from Bicameral Conference on Dec. 14, 2025 – PHOTO FROM SENATE/ YouTube
After hours of deliberations and a nearly two-hour pause, the second day of the bicameral conference committee meeting on the proposed 2026 national budget was suspended late Sunday, with members set to reconvene at 4 p.m. on Monday, December 15.
The meeting was initially halted at around 8:14 p.m. upon the motion of Nueva Ecija Rep. Mikaela Suansing, chairperson of the House Committee on Appropriations.
Deliberations resumed at around 10:30 p.m. following the brief suspension in proceedings.
Shortly after, Suansing and Sen. Win Gatchalian agreed to formally suspend the bicameral talks until Monday afternoon.
Before the suspension, lawmakers discussed the proposed budget of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).
Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon addressed lawmakers’ questions and clarified the agency’s position on its proposed funding.
Dizon denied claims that the DPWH was restoring higher construction material prices or reviving projects that had been previously scrapped.
He said the agency is only asking Congress to restore around P45 billion in budget cuts to ensure projects remain implementable.
Dizon explained that the requested funds are needed to align projects with the updated Construction Materials Price Data.
Citing President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., Dizon said the administration seeks to eliminate overpricing while recognizing the urgent need to accelerate infrastructure spending and implementation.