Expected to veto certain items and provision of he 2025 General Appropriations Act, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Thursday (December 19) said Congress no longer can amend the budget measure it has approved.

Marcos is reportedly not happy with the criticisms hurled against the PHP6.352 trillion national budget that was crafted by the Senate and the House of Representatives.

Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin disclosed that the chief eecutive will veto budget items and provisions “in the interest of public welfare, to conform with the fiscal program, and in compliance with laws.”

As a result, Malacanañang has re-scheduled the signing of the 2025 GAA originally set for December 20.

“The scheduled signing of the General Appropriations Act on Dec. 20 will not push through to allow more time for a rigorous and exhaustive review of a measure that will determine the course of the nation for the next year,” said Bersamin.


According to Bersamin the president will personally assess the budget measure in consultation with his Cabinet.

“While we cannot yet announce the date of the signing, we can now confirm that certain items and provisions of the national budget bill will be vetoed in the interest of public welfare, to conform with the fiscal program, and in compliance with laws,” the Palace official said.

Universal health advocates are hoping Marcos will restore the proposed allocation for the Philippine Medical Insurance Corporation (Philhealth) which was totally deleted notwithstanding provisions of the law requiring for annual allocation for its program.

Instead, the bicameral conference committee decided to allocate funds for the Ayuda para sa Kapos ang Kita Program, a Lower House initiated cash assistance scheme widely suspected of being used for political purposes.

The Department of Education’s PHP11 billion proposed allocations for its computerization program should also be restored if Education Secretary Edgardo Angara and other public education advocates are to be asked.