Manila, Oct. 13 -- Speaker Faustino "Bojie" Dy III on Monday said the passage of the PHP6.793-trillion 2026 national budget is the first step toward building a more transparent, accountable, and service-oriented Congress.

"Maaaring hindi perpekto ang ating badyet, ngunit ito ay malinaw na simula ng bagong yugto sa ating paglilingkod -ang unang hakbang tungo sa tunay na Badyet ng Bayan: Bukas at Tapat sa Sambayanan (The budget may not be perfect, but this is a clear step of a new chapter of our service -the first step towards a true Budget of the Nation: Open and True to the People)," Dy said following the chamber's approval of the General Appropriations Bill (GAB) on third and final reading.

The Speaker said the 2026 GAB was crafted wit...