Warning against potential pitfalls, Senator Imee Marcos on Sunday renewed her appeal to her brother, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., not to sign the “very bad” proposed 2025 national budget.

In a statement, Senator Marcos asserted that it would be better to improve the budget’s provisions rather than insist on passing the 2025 General Appropriations Act (GAA).

“There’s no need to resort to a re-enacted budget. We still have a few days left. It’s better for all of us to endure delays than to approve this budget,” she said.

“After all, the poor don’t get holidays. So, let’s not rush it. Let’s ensure that every peso is allocated properly and fairly,” she added.

Senator Marcos stressed that government subsidies allocated for the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) are being used to cover dialysis treatments for over 60,000 patients at the National Kidney and Transplant Institute.

Congress opted not to include subsidies for PhilHealth in the approved 2025 GAA, citing the agency’s failure to utilize its funds effectively despite holding reserve funds of at least P600 billion.

Initially, PhilHealth was set to receive a P74 billion subsidy under the 2025 National Expenditure Program to cover the contributions of non-paying members.

Likewise, Senator Marcos lamented the budget cuts for the Department of Education (DepEd) amounting to P11.570 billion. The budget cuts include P10 billion intended for its computerization program, which is equivalent to 200,000 laptops for teachers and students.

Agri, too

She also questioned the “drastic budget cuts” for the Department of Agriculture, which lost P22.363 billion in funding for the upcoming fiscal year. The budget cuts include P9.645 billion from its National Rice Program.

“How can we reach the target price of P29 per kilo of rice if the agriculture budget keeps shrinking?” Senator Marcos asked, citing high prices of rice.

She also lamented the P50 billion reduction in the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) program’s budget, warning that the cut could restrict aid to nearly 4.4 million beneficiaries by mid-2025.

She further claimed that portions of the budget appeared to serve as “vote-buying” schemes ahead of the elections, referring to the inclusion of the P26 billion allocation for the controversial Ayuda para sa Kapos ang Kita Program (AKAP) of the Department of Social Welfare and Development, which was earlier defunded by the Senate in their final version of the budget bill.

“It’s too obvious! Instead of prioritizing education, health, and social services, unclear projects are being favored,” she stressed.

“The budget needs to be reviewed. It must not serve the interests of a select few but rather the entire nation,” she added.

Deferred signing

Last week, Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin announced the deferment of the scheduled signing of the GAA on 20 December, citing the need for “more time for a rigorous and exhaustive review of a measure that will determine the course of the nation for the next year.”

“The ongoing assessment is being led by the President himself, in consultation with the heads of major departments,” Bersamin said in a statement.

He noted that while the exact date of the signing has yet to be announced, “certain items and provisions of the national budget bill will be vetoed” by the President in the “interest of public welfare, to conform with the fiscal program, and in compliance with laws.”

Marcos earlier promised to restore the P10 billion that was cut from the Department of Education’s proposed budget for 2025, as slashing the allocation for education is “contrary” to the administration’s policy.