President Marcos can no longer meet the deadline of passing the proposed national budget into law before this year ends as he is expected to sign in into law during the first week of January next year.

Executive Secretary Ralph Recto disclosed this to Malacañang reporters on Christmas eve, Dec. 24.

"Yes, first week of January," Recto said in a text message on Wednesday, when asked to confirm if the President will indeed sign the national budget next year.

On Tuesday, Malacañang said Marcos will work on the immediate review of the national budget during the holidays. 

Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Secretary Dave Gomez said Marcos has mobilized a team for the "immediate review" of the budget.

"The President will be spending the holidays working," Gomez said. "As early as now, the President is already mobilizing his team to facilitate the immediate review of all amounts and corresponding provisions agreed in the bi-cam and trace the changes made from the originally submitted National Expenditure Program (NEP)."

Malacañang has been reiterating that the President is bent on passing the 2026 proposed national budget, and would not settle on a reenacted budget.

Recto did not gave further details about the President's signing of the budget next year.