Recto’s call

Executive Secretary Ralph Recto committed to the public earlier, the proposed P6.793-trillion national outlay approved by the present 20th Congress will be signed into law by this week, at the latest. Recto announced beforehand that Malacañang started the review of the proposed budget bill as soon as the Office of the President (OP) received its printed enrolled copy last Dec. 29.

- MARICHU A. VILLANUEVA

As Executive Secretary Ralph Recto committed to the public earlier, the proposed P6.793-trillion national outlay approved by the present 20th Congress will be signed into law by this week, at the latest. Recto announced beforehand that Malacañang started the review of the proposed budget bill as soon as the Office of the President (OP) received its printed enrolled copy last Dec. 29.

It was on the same day when both chambers of Congress held special sessions for a single item on the agenda: to ratify the 2026 budget bill before they adjourned their last session day for the year. By majority vote, the Senate and the House of Representatives separately approved the consolidated version done by the bicameral conference committee (bicam) on the proposed 2026 General Appropriations Act (GAA).

For now, the national government still operates under a reenacted 2025 GAA because the fiscal year ended already on Dec. 31 last year. Fortunately, this is allowed under our country’s 1987 Constitution, unlike the federal government of America that shuts down whenever their US Congress is unable to pass a new budget for the fiscal year. But for President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. (PBBM), he had sort of forced himself into a corner when he previously frowned upon the possible reenactment of the 2026 budget.

It was last year when PBBM did not try to hide his extreme displeasure on how the previous Congress “badly mangled” the 2025 GAA. Much to the President's chagrin, the 19th Congress amended his administration’ s National Expenditure Program (NEP) and realigned funds to non-administration flood control and other infrastructure projects.