Malacañang yesterday assured the public that a week under a reenacted budget will not disrupt government operations, explaining that the delay will give the Executive Branch time to conduct a thorough review of the ratified 2026 national budget.
In a statement, Executive Secretary Ralph Recto said the administration received the ratified 2026 General Appropriations Act on December 29 and is scrutinizing all allocations and provisions to account for changes made from the originally submitted National Expenditure Program (NEP).
“The President and his team are scrutinizing all allocations and provisions to fully account for any changes from the originally submitted National Expenditure Program,” he said.
Recto pointed out that the review, expected to take about a week, aims to ensure that the spending plan meets legal and technical requirements and addresses the needs of Filipinos.
The Executive Secretary previously stated that President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. is expected to sign the national budget on January 5, the first working day of the new year.
Recto added that the administration remains committed to fiscal discipline, stressing that the review is intended to safeguard public funds, ensuring that taxpayers’ money is spent wisely and translates into tangible benefits.
“The public is assured that a brief period under a reenacted budget will not disrupt government operations,” he said.
Recto assured that the deliberate review underscores the administration’s focus on accountability and prudent spending as it prepares to implement the 2026 budget.
However, it was unclear how a reenacted budget would affect a salary increase for government employees that is scheduled to take effect on January 1.
Manila Standard sought to clarify the issue, but a reply from the Palace was unavailable as of this writing.
Under Executive Order No. 64, a third tranche of the pay hike for both civilian and military personnel was supposed to begin immediately at the start of the year.
In 2025, some P70 billion was allocated in the P6.352-trillion national budget for the implementation of the second tranche of the salary adjustment.
