PBBM to sign 2025 budget bill Dec. 30 – PCO

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Monday signed the law on the refund of Value Added Tax (VAT) for non-resident tourists. The law aims to attract more non-resident tourists to the country by providing them a VAT Refund System on locally purchased goods. (PCO Photo)

By Ruth Abbey Gita-Carlos, Philippine News Agency

MANILA – President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. is scheduled to sign the 2025 General Appropriations Bill (GAB) into law on Dec. 30, Presidential Communications Office (PCO) acting Secretary Cesar Chavez announced Tuesday.

In a text message to Palace reporters, Chavez said the signing of the 2025 GAB would be held after the commemorative events for Rizal Day.

Once enacted into law, the 2025 GAB will be known as the 2025 General Appropriations Act (GAA).

Marcos was supposed to sign the proposed PHP6.352 trillion national budget for next year before Christmas.

He, however, decided to delay the signing of the budget bill for an extensive review of its provisions.

Malacañang received the printed copy of the 2025 GAB late afternoon of Dec. 20, Chavez has said.

The President has been holding a series of meetings with some members of his Cabinet to examine the 2025 spending plan.

He earlier said he needed more time to review the proposed national budget because of a lot of changes made by Congress.

He added that he wanted to be “very sure” that the 2025 budget would be directed to “important” and “priority” projects.