MANILA, Dec. 1 -- Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian on Monday said the Senate remains on course to pass House Bill No. 4058, or the 2026 General Appropriations Act, despite working under a compressed timetable following last weekend's fire incident at the Senate building.

In a virtual press briefing, Gatchalian, chair of the Finance panel, outlined the chamber's target timeline, emphasizing that each stage has been spaced to allow senators ample time to study amendments - a shift from previous years when amendments and approvals were rushed within the same day.

Under the schedule, the period of amendments of the proposed 2026 national budget is set for Tuesday (Dec. 2), followed by second reading on Wednesday (Dec. 3) and third reading on Tuesday...