Senate to block bicam insertions

SENATE Finance Committee Chairman Senator Sherwin T. Gatchalian said that he is seeking to block out the insertion of “alien” projects during the bicameral conference for the P6.793-trillion national spending plan for 2026.

“That’s what we will be careful about moving forward, especially in the bicam conference,” Mr. Gatchalian said in a statement.  “We will no longer allow alien projects, meaning projects that are not in the original proposal or those that suddenly enter bicam.”

The Philippine Senate plans to conclude deliberations on Nov. 26. Its proposed version has cut the budget of the Public Works department and unprogrammed appropriations.

The senator said that adding “alien” project to the proposed spending plan would ruin the budget process.

“First of all, we didn’t discuss that and secondly, it would ruin the entire budget process,” Mr. Gatchalian said.

Next year’s spending plan is 7.4% higher than last year’s budget, and equivalent to 22% of the country’s gross domestic product, which grew by 4% during the third quarter.

Congress expects to conduct the bicameral conference from Dec. 3 to 6, according to the congressional calendar. — Adrian H. Halili