The proposed P11.9-billion annual budget for 2026 has successfully passed its first legislative hurdle after the Provincial Board's budget and finance committee completed its review on Thursday, November 27, 2025.
Tight Timeline for Budget Approval
According to Celestino Martinez III, chairman of the Budget and Appropriations Committee, legislators are now working against a strict year-end deadline due to the executive department's delayed submission of the spending plan. The Provincial Board has until December 31 to pass the budget into law.
"I can do little to move faster. The submission of the budget proposal was late and the rules of procedure of the SP do not provide any shortcuts," Martinez stated in a message on Friday, November 28.
Despite the time constraints, committee members demonstrated commitment by working early and compressing hearings into six intensive days: November 20, 21, 24, 25, 26, and 27. This accelerated schedule allowed them to meet with all departments covered by the proposed budget.
Procedural Roadmap and Deliberation Process
Martinez confirmed that the committee is currently drafting its report and plans to meet early next week, potentially on December 2, to discuss observations. The report will only be presented to the full Provincial Board after receiving committee approval.
Under normal circumstances, budget deliberations typically require at least two weeks to complete the entire legislative process. The current proposal must still undergo a second reading once the committee report reaches the plenary session.
Consequences of Missing the Deadline
The Governor Pamela Baricuatro administration submitted the proposed budget on November 7, significantly missing the Local Government Code's mandated October 16 deadline. This three-week delay initially raised concerns about severely compressed deliberation periods.
Under the Local Government Code (RA 7160), if the appropriation ordinance is not passed by December 31, the previous year's budget is automatically reenacted for the first 90 days of the fiscal year. During this period, only essential expenditures are permitted until a new budget receives approval.
Despite the challenging timeline, Martinez affirmed that consensus exists among committee members to pass a new budget for 2026, indicating political will to overcome procedural obstacles.
