Despite the limited time, Malacañang said President Marcos will thoroughly review the 2026 national budget.

The Executive Branch will not sleep on it, nor will it have holidays if it means they could scrutinize the budget before approving it, Palace Press Officer and Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro said.

"Limitado man po ang panahon, ang sinisiguro po ng Pangulo ay aaraling mabuti ‘to. Kung may dapat i-veto, ibi-veto po ng Pangulo (Even if time is limited, the President assures that this will be studied thoroughly. If there are provisions that need to be vetoed, the President will veto them)," Castro said in a Palace briefing on Friday, Dec. 19.

"Ang nais po talaga ng Pangulo ay mapirmahan ito bago magtapos ang taon. So, kung dapat aralin, kung hindi magkakaroon ng tulugan, walang tulugan, gagawin po iyan (What the President really wants is for this to be signed before the end of the year. So if it needs to be studied and if that means no sleeping, then there will be no sleeping—it will be done)," she said.

The Palace official further said that the President wants to emphasize that before he signs, the proposed budget "must be carefully studied, scrutinized, and if there is anything that needs to be vetoed, it will be vetoed."

Asked if this would mean no holidays for the executive, Castro said: Yes.

"Kailangang pag-aralan po. Sa Pangulo po, hindi po kailangang magkaroon ng Christmas break, kailangan po talagang aralin ito at pipilitin na mapirmahan po ito bago magtapos ang taon (This needs to be studied thoroughly. For the President, there does not need to be a Christmas break. This really has to be examined, and efforts will be made to have it signed before the end of the year)," Castro said.

In reviewing the budget, Castro said Marcos will be joined by the members of the Department of Budget and Management (DBM).

And if the President needs to call in Cabinet secretaries for greater clarity, Castro added, he will summon whoever is necessary who heads the relevant agencies. 

After six grueling days of discussions and uncertainties with the Department of Public Works and Highways' (DPWH) project funds, the Bicameral Conference Committee (bicam) finished its consolidation of the conflicting provisions of the 2026 national budget before dawn Thursday, Dec. 18.

The end finally came at 2.22 a.m. Thursday, when the House of Representatives and Senate contingents to the bicam declared the joint proceedings on the P6.793-trillion General Appropriations Bill (GAB) as adjourned.