Malacañang on Tuesday, December 16, reiterated that President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. does not want a reenacted budget despite delays in the bicameral conference committee deliberations on the proposed 2026 national budget.
At a press briefing, Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary and Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said the administration and Congress are expected to exert all efforts to prevent a reenacted budget.
”Alam po ng lahat, lahat po tayo pati po ang Kongreso, ayaw po ng Pangulo ang isang reenacted budget. Sa panahong natitira, alam natin na lahat ng kakayanan ay dapat na gawin para hindi mauwi ang isang budget na reenacted budget,” Castro said.
Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson earlier warned that the government may be forced to operate on a reenacted budget next year as bicameral talks stall due to disagreements between the Senate and the House of Representatives, particularly over the 2026 budget of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).
Lacson said senators are also seeking clarification on the proposed increase in the Department of Agriculture’s budget for farm-to-market road projects, as well as funding for the Department of Health’s Medical Assistance for Indigent and Financially Incapacitated Patients (MAIFIP) program.
Under the Department of Budget and Management’s definition, a reenacted budget occurs when the previous year’s General Appropriations Act remains in force until a new budget is enacted.