MANILA. President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. is set to sign the proposed national budget for 2024, amounting to P6.352 trillion, on December 30, 2024, as confirmed by the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) on Tuesday. Acting PCO Secretary Cesar Chavez announced that the signing will take place following the Rizal Day program in Manila.
“Signing on 30 December 2024 after the Rizal Day program in Manila,” Chavez told reporters at the Palace.
Initially, the signing was scheduled for December 20, but Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin explained that the delay was necessary to allow for a more thorough review of the budget measure. Bersamin added that President Marcos had been consulting with key department heads to ensure the accuracy and integrity of the budget.
Despite the delay, President Marcos had earlier expressed confidence that the budget would be signed before the end of the year. The signing process will follow Section 25 (7) of Article VI of the 1987 Constitution, which states that if Congress fails to pass the General Appropriations Bill (GAB) by the end of the fiscal year, the previous year’s General Appropriations Act (GAA) will remain in effect until a new GAB is passed.
The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) noted that reenacted budgets occurred in fiscal years 2001, 2004, and 2006, while partial reenacted budgets were implemented in 2003, 2005, 2008, and 2009.
The Senate and House of Representatives had already ratified the bicameral conference committee report on the GAB, which included several key provisions: the P733-million budget for the Office of the Vice President, a P10-billion reduction in the Department of Education’s budget, and an allocation of P26 billion for the Ayuda para sa Kapos and Kita Program (AKAP).
How the President’s Veto Works on the National Budget
Under the Constitution, the President has the authority to veto specific provisions in the national budget. Senate Minority Leader Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III, a former Senate President and lawyer, clarified that ordinary measures vetoed by the President are considered outrightly rejected.
According to Article VI, Section 27(2) of the Constitution, the President can veto particular items within an appropriation, revenue, or tariff bill. However, this veto only affects the items the President objects to, a process known as the “line-item veto.”
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