Lawmakers commended President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. for signing the P6.326-trillion 2025 General Appropriations Act (GAA) on Rizal Day as promised, avoiding a reenacted budget in the process and ensuring seamless government operations for the upcoming year.
Senate Finance Committee chairperson Grace Poe and House Appropriations chairman Elizaldy Co released separate statements, applauding the President for his timely approval of the budget law, emphasizing his strategic focus on fiscal discipline and key national priorities.
Poe highlighted the importance of the refined Ayuda sa Kapod ang Kita Program (AKAP), which she said would benefit over 4 million low-income earners, including minimum-wage workers and informal sector employees.
“Wealth transfer programs must always be subject to strict oversight, and through the President’s convergence mandate, AKAP will be better positioned to serve as a genuine social safety net,” according to the senator.
Co praised the signed budget for its alignment with the administration’s eight-point agenda. He welcomed the reprioritization of education, as stated in the 1987 Constitution, while also maintaining proposed allocations in other equally important sectors.
Under the approved 2025 GAA, the education sector gets a lion’s share of P1.053 trillion followed by public infrastructure (P1.007-trillion), healthcare (P268-billion), and agriculture (P237-billion). The latter covered allocations for agrarian reform and irrigation.
Both Co and Poe also respected the President’s decision to veto P194 billion worth of spending deemed inconsistent with priority programs. The vetoed items include unprogrammed appropriations and some projects from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).
“As with previous budgets, the Executive is right to withhold funds for projects with uncertain funding sources or lacking actionable plans. By removing the standby authority, the veto ensures that government spending is based on solid revenues, not speculative projections,” Poe said.
Co, for his part, said they “respect the President’s constitutional prerogative and judgment,” in vetoing some line items in the approved budget. “Congress remains committed to working closely with the executive branch,” he added.
The 2025 GAA underscored unified efforts to address pressing national needs and advance sustainable growth. Both lawmakers emphasized the significance of timely budget enactment, noting that it prevents operational delays and supports the administration’s development agenda.
