Manila, Jan. 7 -- A Joint Congressional Oversight Committee on Public Expenditures will be created to closely monitor budget utilization and project implementation, particularly infrastructure projects, as government agencies enter the spending phase of the 2026 national budget, Senate Committee on Finance chairperson Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian said on Wednesday.

In an interview during the Kapihan sa Manila Bay, Gatchalian said the creation of the oversight body is already mandated under the General Appropriations Act (GAA) but has not been implemented in previous years.

"Actually, hindi na bago ito (this is not new). It's under the General Appropriations Act... It has never been created so ngayon lang iki-create namin in the next few days...