Senator Win Gatchalian called for heightened vigilance over all government projects, emphasizing that the fight against corruption in government does not end with the approval of the budget. 

“We have reconciled the numbers, but vigilance must continue from budgeting to implementation if we are to purge corruption from the bureaucracy,” said Gatchalian, following the bicameral conference committee report on the proposed 2026 national budget. The measure now awaits ratification by both chambers of Congress before being sent to the President.

The senator stressed that while safeguard provisions have been included in the General Appropriations Bill, there is no substitute for vigilance. “Vigilance builds a culture of integrity and accountability. We painstakingly instituted transparency measures in the entire budgeting process. We hope these measures will help encourage our people to be engaged in the implementation of government projects,” he said.

Gatchalian pointed out that in the case of infrastructure projects under the Department of Public Works and Highways, the Senate made sure that each project item has unique station numbers and a project description, including coordinates, to enable public monitoring and deter ghost and substandard projects.