The House of Representatives remains confident that it can pass the 2026 national budget on schedule, despite lawmakers’ call for the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) to review the National Expenditure Program (NEP) due to flagged errors and questionable entries.
House spokesperson Princess Abante said in a press briefing that deliberations will continue for items without issues while awaiting the DBM’s review of the flagged budget proposals.
“Kaya nga tuloy-tuloy pa rin ang budget deliberations para ‘dun sa mga items na wala namang problema ay ma-tackle na siya. Hindi natin alam kung gano’ng kabilis ‘yung magiging review ng DBM doon sa mga budget na may nakitang may mga observations ang mga members,” Abante said.
She emphasized that the appropriations panel remains committed to its timeline, and party leaders are willing to work beyond regular hours to ensure the approval of the General Appropriations Bill (GAB) within schedule.
Abante clarified that sending the NEP back to the DBM does not mean physically returning documents but ensuring corrections are made at the source level.
“Again, ‘yung sulian ng NEP ay hindi nga ito ‘yung physical na pagbalik. Hindi naman ganyan ang gagawin pero clear ang sentiments ng party leaders: there’s a need to review, to correct what they used, ‘yung massive mangling of the budget proposal. Kailangan siya i-correct. So ‘yun yung gustong iparating din ng party leaders,” she explained.
Lawmakers have raised concerns about questionable entries and overlapping programs within the NEP and urged the DBM to ensure the proposal’s integrity before House deliberations proceed.
Abante also noted that while errata are common during budget discussions, the unusually high number of corrections needed this year raised red flags. She stressed that these are not congressional insertions and that the House wants to avoid being blamed for issues caused by DBM-prepared proposals.
“This is not a simple matter for the House. This is a serious task. This is mandate given to the House of Representatives by the Constitution to review, to approve the budget of the government kaya siniseryoso ng Kamara ang kanilang tungkulin,” Abante said.