Marcos mobilizes team to review 2026 budget

House, Senate extend sessions to make way for ratification

- BETHEENA UNITE, ELLSON QUISMORIO, and DHEL NAZARIO

President Marcos has mobilized a team for the "immediate review" of the 2026 national budget, and will work on it over the holidays, Malacañang said.

Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Secretary Dave Gomez said Marcos will be spending the Christmas holidays working to review the 2026 national budget before signing it into law before the year ends.

"As early as now, the President is already mobilizing his team to facilitate the immediate review of all amounts and corresponding provisions agreed in the bi-cam and trace the changes made from the originally submitted National Expenditure Program (NEP)," Gomez said on Tuesday, Dec. 23.

According to the Press Secretary, the review initiated by the President will ensure that taxpayers' money will be put to good use.

"This thorough review will ensure that taxpayers' money will be put to good use, contributing to the attainment of societal goals that will be felt by all Filipinos, consistent with his pronouncement in the last State of the Nation Address (SONA)," Gomez said.

Malacañang has been reiterating that the President is bent on signing the proposed 2026 national budget, and would not settle on a reenacted budget.