House appropriations committee chair Rep. Mikaela Suansing
HOUSE Appropriations Committee Chairperson and Nueva Ecija Rep. Mikaela Suansing refuted an insinuation that incentives are offered to Congressmen who will vote for the ratification of the 2026 General Appropriations Bill, as approved by the Bicameral Conference Committee.
“Hindi po ini-impluwensyahan ng House leadership ang sinumang indibidwal na miyembro ng Kamara na bumoto ng kung paanong paraan,” Suansing said.
She said that the House leadership maintains as a policy and as a strict principle that House members are free to vote on legislative measures as they see fit.
“The House of Representatives is a collegial body. We respect each member to have the freedom to vote and to decide based on the needs of their constituents and their conscience,” Suansing stressed.
The House of Representatives initiated several reforms to make the budget process more transparent and lawmakers more accountable for the national budget.
Reforms included the creation of the Budget Amendment and Review Sub-Committee (BARSc) to replace the small committee which met with Senate counterparts in the bicameral conference committee.
The House also institutionalized consultations with concerned civil society organizations regarding their budget concerns.
Through these initiatives, the national budget was scrutinized more thoroughly; the BARSc spent an additional 20 hours reviewing the proposed general appropriations bill before it was submitted for plenary consideration.
Both Houses of Congress also agreed to hold the first open bicameral conference committee meeting, which was livestreamed over online platforms of the House and the Senate. The Bicameral Conference Committee completed its task of reconciling the disagreeing provisions between the House and Senate versions of the GAB Sunday afternoon when bicam members signed the Committee report.
The Bicam leadership also committed to provide members of both Houses of Congress with a digital copy of the bicameral conference committee version of the GAB for their examination prior to voting during plenary proceedings Monday.
Under the reconciled, enrolled GAB, a total of P6.7 trillion is earmarked for government operations in 2026.
