President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. is set to sign the proposed P6.352-trillion national budget for 2025 on December 30, 2024, following the Rizal Day program in Manila, as confirmed by Presidential Communications Office acting Secretary Cesar Chavez in a GMA News report.
Originally scheduled for December 20, the signing was postponed to allow for a more thorough review of the budget, according to Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin. Marcos consulted with major department heads to ensure a rigorous assessment of the appropriations.
The budget, ratified by both the Senate and House of Representatives, includes significant allocations such as P26 billion for the Ayuda para sa Kapos at Kita Program (AKAP). It also retains the P733-million budget for the Office of the Vice President and reduces the Department of Education’s budget by P10 billion.
Marcos expressed confidence that the budget will be finalized before the year’s end. The Philippine Constitution mandates that if the General Appropriations Bill (GAB) is not passed by the end of the fiscal year, the previous year’s General Appropriations Act (GAA) will be reenacted.
The President holds the authority to veto specific items within the budget, a practice known as the “line-item veto,” which allows for the rejection of provisions without affecting other parts of the bill.
