Dizon says that no projects have undergone early procurement so far since they are unsure which projects will receive funding under the 2026 budget. He admits that they several projects will be delayed because of this.

UPDATE: Second day day of bicam ends without a final decision on Dizon's request. The meeting will resume on Monday, December 15, at 4 pm.

Happening now: Department of Budget and Management acting Secretary Rolando Toledo faces the Independent Commission for Infrastructure on Monday, December 15. Watch the livestream here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HGSdHpjWfhQ @here

JUST IN: The bicam session on Monday, December 15, is postponed as lawmakers' discussion on the proposed DPWH budget reaches a deadlock, Senate finance chairman Sherwin Gatchalian announces.

UPDATE: House appropriations chair Mikaela Suansing says the House contingent still wants today's bicam deliberations to proceed, despite Senate finance chair Sherwin Gatchalian announcing the meeting's postponement.

Suansing says some congressmen are already at the venue, and she is on her way to the meeting herself.

Lest we forget, today is Dec. 15 and I remember the Ombudsman repeated several times before that they will be issuing arrest warrants for the big fish by today. Well where is it? BBM also announced last week that arrest warrants will be issued to Sarah Discaya by last week. Well where is it? What's going on? Are we just being played here?

To push or not? House, Senate divided on proceeding with bicam

The two chambers of Congress are divided. Senate finance committee chairperson Win Gatchalian postponed the bicam, saying discussions on the proposed DPWH budget had reached a “deadlock.”

House appropriations committee chairperson Mika Suansing, however, said the House wants to proceed with the third day of the bicam to stick to the original timeline. The seats allotted for senators at the bicam venue were noticeably vacant. @here

On the last day of ICI's hearing for 2025, Department of Budget and Management acting Secretary Rolando Toledo and Agap Partylist Representative Nicanor Briones. Briones opted for an executive session. Former DPWH undersecretary Cathy Cabral, who allegedly took part in budget insertions for anomalous flood control projects, was also invited by the commission but declined.

Proposal to the 24 Senators of the Republic of the Philippines:

Do not sign or affix your signature to the General Appropriations Act without the approved CADENA version of the House of Representatives, the Freedom of Information Bill, and the Anti-Political Dynasty Bill.

Use the national budget as strong leverage to pass landmark laws.

No transparency, no budget.

Senator Bam Aquino says the Senate will refuse to sign off on an "overpriced" DPWH budget, saying that the DPWH should conduct its own recalculation using its new Construction Materials Price Data (CMPD).

“Kung may issues kayo doon sa computation namin, mag-compute rin kayo. Gawin niyo ang trabaho ninyo, i-compute niyo ang tama at balikan niyo kami with the right budget,” Aquino said.

Bicam budget talks between the House and the Senate are currently at an impasse after DPWH chief Vince Dizon made a last-minute appeal to restore some P45 billion trimmed from the DPWH budget, with the DPWH chief claiming that the cuts could result in underfunded infrastructure projects. But senators are hesitant to grant Dizon's request since the original computations were based on overpriced construction material prices.

RELATED STORY: https://www.rappler.com/philippines/dpwh-vince-dizon-appeal-bicameral-restore-budget-cuts-2026/

UPDATE: Senate finance chairman Sherwin Gatchalian confirms that the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has submitted revised adjustment factors to correct overpricing concerns in the proposed 2026 budget. Gatchalian says they are currently studying the DPWH's submissions and will apply these to the projects listed in the spending plan once validated.

"Ang importante sa amin ay walang overpriced items at mai-implement ang mga projects para hindi maapektuhan ang ekonomiya natin," he said.

The bicameral conference committee meeting was delayed by three hours, with proceedings still yet to begin past 7 pm on Tuesday, December 16. The bicam was supposed to start at 4 pm.

Members of the House of Representatives and the Senate went into a closed-door meeting to discuss bicam’s positions on the Department of Public Works and Highways’ appeal to restore its slashed budget.

The bicam is delayed by four hours, which was supposed to start at 4 pm.

Where is Ombudsman Remulla? For the first time since he was appointed, I don't see him in the news or in any YouTube post or podcast Very strange.🤔

He's (or was) in Doha, Qatar for the United Nations Convention against Corruption. https://www.rappler.com/philippines/remulla-touts-response-flood-control-scandal-united-nations-anti-corruption-convention-cosp11/

At 1:15 am on Wednesday, the bicam wraps up the third day of the hearing. It will resume later at 2 pm.

Live now: 4th day of Bicam deliberations on 2026 budget. The bicam is now discussing the budget of the Department of Transportation. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7WHUuhL7Lp8

The bicam realligned the budget of Department of Transportation upon the agency’s request. DOTr asked the bicam to put additional P3.66 billion funding for the following: 

Operation and maintenance of the Metro Rail Transit - 

LRT Line 1 Cavite extension project (common station) - P2 billion

Light Rail Transit Authority (systems and facilities improvement) - P1.04 billion

The funding was pulled in from the following: 

Metro Manila Subway Project (MMSP) Phase I

North-South Commuter Railway (NSCR) System

MMSP and NSCR have been flagged over low budget utilization. 

Legarda slams last-minute budget appeals by government agencies

Senator Loren Legarda criticized the last-minute appeals made by various government agencies to the bicameral conference committee.

Legarda said agencies should have raised proposed changes during the House and Senate budget deliberations. For major projects, she added, these should have already been included in the National Expenditure Program (NEP).

She warned that accommodating late appeals could set a precedent for other government agencies.

I strongly agree with Senator Legarda. These last appeals are signs of incompetence. 😠

The bicam has been flooded with last-minute funding appeals from government agencies, moves that some lawmakers said undermine the budget process. https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/inside-track/bicameral-conference-committee-updates-2026-budget-december-17-2025/

Palace declares work in government offices suspended on December 29, 2025 and January 2, 2026. How about private companies and offices? Palace says left up to their discretion.

Police are investigating the death of former DPWH undersecretary Maria Catalina Cabral, who was found unconscious near Bued River along Kennon Road in Tuba, Benguet, on Wednesday night, December 18, and was later declared dead, authorities said. https://www.rappler.com/philippines/former-dpwh-undersecretary-catalina-cabral-dies/

DPWH mourns the death of former Undersecretary Maria Catalina
Cabral, who served the agency for over 40 years.

ICI asks law enforcement agencies to immediately secure and preserve Cathy Cabral’s documents, gadgets, and computers for possible digital forensics examination.

Contractor Sarah Discaya is expected to fly to Cebu on Friday afternoon, December 19, to face her malversation case over a P96-million ghost project in Davao Occidental.

LOOK: Several NBI officers are here at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 2 as Sarah Discaya is expected to fly to Cebu to face a malversation case.

Marcos named Torre as new MMDA General Manager
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has appointed former Philippine National Police chief Nicolas Torre III as MMDA General Manager, Malacañang confirmed.Torre replaces Procopio Lipana.

BREAKING: The Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) secures a new freeze order covering 1,193 bank accounts of "major contractors" and an unnamed member of the House of Representatives with ties to supposed anomalous flood control projects.

The Court of Appeals found that the frozen assets were linked to possible violations of the country's anti-graft law.

So far, the appellate court has issued seven freeze orders covering some P20.3 billion in total assets.

National Unity Party chief Ronaldo Puno released a statement on the passing of Antipolo City 2nd District Representative Romeo Acop:

Sadly, he has really passed on. He had his successful kidney transplant last November 28. He was recovering well and he was up and about. We were excited for his imminent return to us. Then he had a heart attack last night.

Our hearts are broken. He was a friend for more than 25 years and a devoted, courageous, honest public servant.

The Congress and our country are the lesser for his loss.