Marcos will not certify 2026 budget as urgent

MALACAÑANG on Wednesday said President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. would not certify the 2026 General Appropriations bill as urgent, marking the first time he has withheld such certification since assuming the presidency in 2022.

Palace Press Officer Clarissa A. Castro said lawmakers are close to completing the national spending plan.

“Not this time because they’re almost done, and as far as we know, they will be submitting the enrolled copy of the bill before Christmas,” she told a news briefing in Filipino.

The national budget sets the government’s funding priorities for critical sectors and strategic programs. Malacañang last week urged Congress to fast-track the measure, emphasizing that Mr. Marcos does not want a reenacted budget, which occurs when the previous year’s General Appropriations Act remains in effect until a new budget is passed.

Congress is deliberating on the 2026 budget, with a bicameral conference committee scheduled for Dec. 11-12. Lawmakers aim to approve the bill by Dec. 16, with the President targeting a Dec. 29 signing.

Transparency concerns have emerged after allegations of billions of pesos in unprogrammed insertions in this year’s spending plan, reportedly made behind closed doors by a “small committee” during the bicameral stage.

To boost oversight, Mr. Marcos ordered bicameral proceedings to be livestreamed, and the Senate has directed that all 2026 budget materials, including transcripts, hearings and briefings be made publicly available online, aiming to ensure greater transparency and accountability in government spending. — Chloe Mari A. Hufana