MANILA — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is set to sign the 2026 General Appropriations Act (GAA) in the first week of January, Executive Secretary Ralph Recto said on Wednesday, signaling that the national government will temporarily operate under a reenacted budget at the start of the year.

“1st week of January,” Recto told reporters when asked when the President plans to sign the General Appropriations Bill (GAB) into law once Congress ratifies it.

Congress is expected to ratify the proposed ₱6.793-trillion 2026 national budget on December 29, the same day the House of Representatives and the Senate resume plenary sessions following an extension of the legislative calendar.

Under the revised schedule, Malacañang technically has until December 30 and 31 to sign the budget before a reenacted budget takes effect. Recto’s statement, however, confirms that the signing will take place after the new year begins.

Malacañang earlier said Marcos would use the holiday break to review the budget, as the bicameral conference committee only completed its work on December 18, leaving the President with about two weeks to scrutinize the measure.

Acting Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Secretary Dave Gomez said on Tuesday that Marcos “will be spending the holidays working” and has already mobilized his team to review the budget even as bicameral deliberations were ongoing.

“As early as now, the President is already mobilizing his team to facilitate the immediate review of all amounts and corresponding provisions agreed in the bicam and trace the changes made from the originally submitted National Expenditure Program,” Gomez said.

He said the review aims to ensure that “taxpayers’ money will be put to good use” and that the President intends to conduct a “thorough review” of the spending measure.

The bicameral conference committee finalized the budget on December 28, with its proceedings livestreamed for the first time, allowing the public and the executive branch to monitor changes to agency allocations.

Among the key revisions were the realignment of billions of pesos from proposed Department of Public Works and Highways flood control projects to sectors such as education, health, and agriculture, as well as further reductions following a Senate recalculation of infrastructure material costs.

The panel also restored ₱243 billion in unprogrammed appropriations and increased funding for cash assistance programs, including the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) and the Medical Assistance to Indigent and Financially Incapacitated Patients (MAIFIP), reversing earlier cuts approved by both chambers.

Gomez said the President’s review is focused on accountability, particularly amid corruption allegations linked to anomalous flood control projects and budget insertions.

Malacañang has repeatedly said Marcos wants the 2026 budget enacted and does not intend for the government to operate under a reenacted budget, despite the expected delay in signing.