The Senate Committee on Finance is expected to present its committee report on the proposed ₱7.2-trillion national budget for 2027 to the plenary on Nov. 16, Sen. JV Ejercito said Monday.
Ejercito, chairman of the Senate committees on finance and local government, said the panel is still reviewing the proposed budget line by line to ensure that all requirements are met before submitting its report.
The committee had initially targeted Nov. 11 to complete the report, but Ejercito said the review would take longer as senators scrutinize the budget proposals of various government agencies, including the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and the Department of Transportation (DOTr), as well as the House-approved General Appropriations Bill.
“Kasalukuyang hinahanda at pineprepare natin ang committee report para ito’y maipasa na natin sa November 11 dapat pero hindi matatapos. Baka November 16 ko na ito maireport sa plenaryo,” Ejercito said in an interview on DZRH's Dos Por Dos.
He said the committee has hired six to seven additional staff members to help conduct the detailed review, with Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian also providing additional personnel for the process.
Ejercito said the Senate is taking a stricter approach to budget scrutiny to prevent irregularities identified in previous budget deliberations, including double entries and deficiencies in geotagging requirements.
“Para talaga isa-isahin, siguraduhin na kumpleto ang requirements at hindi na maulit yung dating double entry, yung mga geotaggings. Kailangan strikto tayo ngayon sa requirements,” he said.
The Senate is scheduled to begin plenary budget debates on Nov. 23, with discussions expected to run through Dec. 1.
Based on the congressional timeline, the House of Representatives approved House Bill No. 10858, or the proposed 2027 General Appropriations Bill, on third and final reading on Oct. 12, with 281 votes in favor, 13 against and one abstention.
The Senate received the measure on Oct. 13.
Following the Senate's deliberations, second-reading approval is targeted for Dec. 3, while third-reading approval is scheduled for Dec. 7.
The bicameral conference committee is expected to meet from Dec. 10 to 12 to reconcile differences between the House and Senate versions of the proposed national budget.
The final bicameral report is targeted for signing on Dec. 21 and ratification by Congress on Dec. 22 before its transmission to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. for approval.
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