Malacanang said President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. is not considering reenacting the 2024 budget next year but will push for the proposed P6.352 trillion General Appropriations Act.

"In the past two meetings that I attended with them, there was never discussion on that [reenacted budget]," Presidential Communications Office Secretary Cesar Chavez said.

The 2024 budget is P5.768 billion.

In a brief statement, Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Secretary Cesar Chavez said Marcos met with Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin and the the secretaries of the Department of Finance, Department of Budget and Management, National Economic and Development Authority and the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) again last Monday to review the proposed 2025 national budget.

"The printed copy of the spending measure was only received late Friday afternoon. President Marcos Jr. hopes to act on the measure before the year ends," Chavez said.

Both Houses of Congress approved the bicameral conference committee on December 11. Last week, Marcos said he is deferring signing the 2025 budget bill on December 20.

Marcos said he hopes to thoroughly review the proposed 2025 budget and sign it before the end of the year.

Among the issues that Marcos wants to iron out in the proposed 2025 budget bill is how to increase the Department of Education (DepEd) after Congress slashed its budget by over P10 billion for next year.

He also wants to remove the supposed inappropriate insertions made by some lawmakers in the public works budget through his veto power.

Under the 1987 Constitution, the President can use line-item veto for an appropriation, revenue or tariff bill. It may be reversed by Congress if two-thirds will vote against it. DMS