The House of Representatives, led by Speaker Faustino “Bojie” G. Dy III, on Monday suspended its session ahead of the Christmas break after sealing major legislative breakthroughs, highlighted by the approval of the PHP6.793-trillion 2026 national budget through the country’s first open and livestreamed bicameral conference committee.
The developments capped a year marked by institutional reforms, priority legislation and modernization efforts, as lawmakers moved to lock in the budget and advance key measures before Congress adjourned for the holidays.
In his closing speech, Dy said the conclusion of the bicameral negotiations marked a turning point 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 said.
The Speaker from Isabela said the openness resulted in a national budget the public can trust.
“Nakapagtapos tayo ng badyet na maaaring pagkatiwalaan ng taumbayan – isang budget na walang insertions, na hindi itinago, hindi minadali, at hindi inilayo, kundi bukas sa mata ng publiko (We crafted a budget that can be trusted by the people – a budget with no insertions, not hidden, not rushed and not kept away from the eyes of the public),” he told his colleagues.
Dy commended 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 steering the budget talks to completion.
“This budget is historic – not only because the process was transparent, but because the priorities were clear. It is a budget shaped by love for country, a deep understanding of our people’s realities, and genuine compassion for our kababayan (countrymen),” he said.
He said the House version of the budget delivers concrete gains for Filipinos, citing record allocations for education, health care and agriculture.
He noted that education received the largest allocation in Philippine history, equivalent to 4.1 percent of gross domestic product, with more than 25,000 classrooms set for construction or rehabilitation and full funding restored for 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 said.
On health care, he said the budget strengthens the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) and the Medical Assistance to
Individuals and Financially Incapacitated Patients (MAIFIP) program to support zero-balance billing for indigent patients in public hospitals.
Agriculture funding was also boosted to support farmers and fisherfolk through farm-to-market roads, irrigation, mechanization, crop insurance and subsidies, he said.
“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 said.
Meanwhile, the House of Representatives will reconvene briefly on Dec. 29 to ratify the bicameral conference committee report, the final step before the budget is signed into law by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. (PNA)