Bataan 2nd District Rep. Albert Garcia has assured the public that the Senate has already given its concurrence for the House of Representatives to extend its session until Monday, October 13, to pass and approve the proposed 2026 national budget.
In an ambush interview on Wednesday, Garcia – senior vice chairperson of the House committee on appropriations – said that there are no complications should the House continue with its session on Monday despite the calendar for the 20th Congress’s first regular session, stating that the session will adjourn by Oct. 11, Saturday.
‘There are no complications because there is a communication from the House to the Senate that we can extend the calendar days of the House to October 13, to approve the budget on the third reading. So that’s okay already,’ Garcia, speaking in Filipino, told reporters at the Batasang Pambansa complex.
‘As far as I know, yes,’ he added, when asked if the Senate had given its concurrence. ‘Because that is allowable up to three days before the adjournment, we can hold session. So that’s within the rules of the House and the Senate, calendar of both Houses.’
Garcia explained that previously, Congress was allowed to conduct sessions even up to the last Friday of the final session week, even if the House usually adjourns by Wednesday.
But after being reminded by reporters that such Fridays – like October 10 – are explicitly included as part of the regular session, Garcia said Majority Leader Ferdinand Alexander Marcos and committee chairperson Nueva Ecija 1st District Rep. Mikaela Angela Suansing made sure that what they will do is within the bounds of the rules.
‘They have made adjustments already. If you remember in the past, usually sessions end on a calendar day on a Wednesday, that’s the last day of the session. But we can hold sessions until Friday because the schedule allows a three-day extension,’ Garcia said.
‘They issued a communication, I believe. And I can double check later to make things clearer [.] Majority Leader Marcos and Chair Mika Suansing made sure that what we will be doing is within the rules,’ he added.
Extended plenary session
Last October 1, the House adopted House Resolution (HR) No. 320, which seeks to extend the plenary session up to October 13, 2025, so that it can approve the proposed P6.793 trillion national budget for 2026 on time.
Under the original schedule of the 20th Congress, the session would take a break on Oct. 4 – which means that the last session day would be October 3, or this coming Friday.
However, last Aug. 12, the House adopted House Concurrent Resolution (HCR) No. 4, which amends the legislative calendar for the 20th Congress’s first regular session – pushing the adjournment of session for the first break to October 11, 2025.
HCR No. 4 was filed by Majority Leader Marcos and Minority Leader Marcelino Libanan.
Marcos, on Aug. 13, confirmed that the House requested this extension, ensuring that the proposed 2026 national budget will be approved on time.
Marcos, in an ambush interview, said that without the extension, they might not be able to transmit the 2026 General Appropriations Bill (GAB) – or the House’s version of the budget as contained in House Bill (HB) No. 4058 – to the Senate if Congress sticks with the original October 4 break.
The Minority head said back that they hope to finish the House’s GAB and send it to the Senate on October 8 or 9.
‘Hopefully, by Oct. 9, 8, we will have finished all that needs to be done, and then we will transmit to the Senate on the last day, before adjournment on the 10th. This is the ideal situation na hindi tayo magkaroon ng problema (if we do not encounter any problem),’ he said. /mr