Palace: No talk of reenacted budget

Reenacting this year's budget is out of the question for President Marcos and his officials, Malacañang said yesterday, as the administration continues to scrutinize the P6.352-trillion spending bill for 2025 that it hopes will become a law by yearend.

- By ALEXIS ROMERO

The proposed 2025 budget was supposed to be signed into law last Dec. 20, but the enactment was deferred because of a number of issues, including the "insertions" without appropriate documentation and the P12-billion cut in the outlay of the Department of Education (DepEd) that goes against the administration's policy direction.

In a recent interview, Marcos said it would be up to the executive branch to “regain control of the spending program” since lawmakers have completed their deliberations on the budget.

The President met with Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, Finance Secretary Ralph Recto, Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman, National Economic and Development Authority Secretary Arsenio Balisacan and Public Works Secretary Manuel Bonoan yesterday at the Bahay Pangulo to review the spending bill.

The scenario of a budget reenactment was not brought up during Marcos’ meeting with his officials, according to Presidential Communications Secretary Cesar Chavez.

“In the past two meetings that I attended with them, there was never discussion on that (reenacted budget),” he said.

Chavez said the printed copy of the budget was only received late Friday afternoon. Marcos hopes to act on the measure before the year ends, he added.

Unlike in other countries where the failure to pass a new budget leads to a government shutdown, the Philippines automatically reenacts the General Appropriations Act for the previous year if a fresh spending measure is not approved.

Previous officials have enumerated the disadvantages of reenacting a budget, saying it delays the implementation of key projects, affects job creation and poverty reduction efforts and impedes economic growth because of lower expenditures.