The bicameral conference committee (bicam) talks on the proposed 2026 budget did not push through on Monday, December 15, but the House of Representatives wanted talks to resume that day.

Even after Senate finance chair Sherwin Gatchalian announced the postponement of talks, lawmakers continued to flock to the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC), where bicam talks were taking place. House appropriations chair Mikaela Suansing herself even held a press conference while she was on a car heading to the PICC to say that the bicam was pushing through.

According to Suansing, Gatchalian had informed her of the Senate’s decision to pause budget deliberations. But she made it clear that the House did not agree to postpone Monday’s talks.

“It was sounded off, but we did not agree to it,” she told reporters in another chance interview.

“I informed Senator Win that the position of House leadership and the bicam contingent of the House is that we want to proceed with the bicam today.”

So the House contingent decided to wait for the Senate counterparts until 6 pm, even live-streaming their waiting game for the whole nation to see.

Some House members of the bicam went as far as poking fun at their Senate counterparts’ absence, with Negros Occidental 2nd District Representative Javi Benitez posting a Facebook story jokingly asking the senators where they were.

When asked if she felt slighted by the Senate’s decision to postpone the bicam, Suansing clarified that their Senate counterparts simply wanted to consult the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).

“I just want to clarify that the Senate is not trying to speak to the DPWH without us in the room. Sen. Win just expressed that they would still want to have further consultations with DPWH, but that doesn’t preclude us from being part of the conversation,” Suansing said in a mix of English and Filipino.

The deadlock in budget talks was brought by a last-minute appeal from DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon to restore his agency’s budget cuts to allow them to reduce project costs themselves.

Dizon made a surprise appearance during the second day of bicam meetings on Sunday, December 14, and told lawmakers the reductions made by the Senate could result in underfunded infrastructure projects since the cuts were made across the board.

He instead suggested letting the DPWH reduce the project costs upon implementation, citing a department order that requires regional offices to secure the central office’s approval before they can proceed with procurement.

But Gatchalian and several senators raised concerns about the potential for corruption, saying the original project costs were based on overpricing of construction materials.

“I heard you, Mr. Secretary. You won’t bring back the flood control projects. We heard you debunking every untrue claim. But simply putting back that budget sends the wrong message, and we know that,” said Senator Pia Cayetano in a mix of English and Filipino.

In a Monday press conference, Gatchalian said the Senate was firm in preventing the overpriced projects from making it into the 2026 budget.

“Kung sinasabi ‘nyo ang presyo na nasa 2026 budget ay overpriced, magkano ‘yung overprice na ‘yun para puwede na namin tanggalin sa loob ng 2026 budget? Para ‘pag approve natin ng 2026 budget, wala nang overpricing,” he explained.

(If the DPWH is saying that the prices in the 2026 budget are excessive, how much is the excess so we can already remove them from the 2026 budget? So that by the time we approve the 2026 budget, the projects are no longer overpriced.)

Gatchalian, sponsor of the 2026 spending plan at the Senate, also clarified that their computations of the reductions came from the DPWH’s own data.

So far, the bicam has reconciled only the proposed budgets of the health, education, and agriculture sectors. Gatchalian said they hope to wrap up bicam talks by Wednesday, December 17, with ratification of the bicam report on Monday, December 22.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. must sign the bill of the 2026 national spending plan by year-end or the government will have to work with a reenacted 2025 budget, which has been described as the “most corrupt.” – Rappler.com