MANILA — President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. sharpened his message to lawmakers ahead of year-end budget deliberations, saying his Christmas wish is for Congress to deliver a “good budget” — a remark seen as a renewed warning that he will not sign a 2026 spending plan containing questionable insertions.
In the latest episode of his podcast, Marcos was asked by students what he wanted for Christmas. He responded pointedly: “I don’t know how specific you want to get, but that for Christmas that the legislature will provide us a good budget.” He added: “That will make for a very nice Christmas.”
The President’s remarks come as the House of Representatives and the Senate prepare to convene the bicameral conference committee to reconcile conflicting provisions in the 2026 General Appropriations Bill. The administration is under heightened public scrutiny after the discovery of questionable allocations in the P6.326-trillion 2025 budget, prompting Marcos to publicly warn that he would veto next year’s spending bill if lawmakers fail to cleanse it of unnecessary insertions — even saying he would rather operate under a reenacted budget than approve a flawed one.
Malacañang earlier expressed confidence that Congress will transmit a clean budget for the President’s signature before Christmas.
During the podcast session, Marcos also pushed back against criticism that his administration has neglected education funding. He pointed to this year’s P185-billion allocation for the maintenance and operations of state universities and colleges, stressing that government priorities are anchored on rebuilding foundational learning.
“The rest of the funding is going to go to talagang primary. Parang para kang nagpapatayo ng bahay. ‘Yung pundasyon natin napakahina eh,” he told the student interviewers.
He said the administration is focused on easing classroom shortages and accelerating infrastructure support for public schools. “Kailangan natin maghabol so we are spending it number one, of course, on classrooms, and we are finding all of the kinds of ways to build classrooms more quickly,” Marcos Jr. said.
“‘Yung support natin sa teacher, equipment, computer, wala tayong computer. Ang dami pang eskwelahan walang internet,” he added.
Marcos further lamented the Philippines’ weak performance in science and technology subjects. “We’re living in a technological world, highly technological world. Paano naman wala tayong ang hina natin sa STEM subject?” he said.
Strengthening the country’s educational foundations, he stressed, is crucial for producing globally competitive graduates. “That’s why it’s important na ayusin natin ang education para lahat ng Pilipinong magagaling mabigyan ng pagkakataon na sumikat sila whether at home, whether in government, whether abroad, anywhere,” he said. “Basta’t nabigyan sila ng magandang pundasyon, magandang edukasyon, kaya na nilang ano sumabak kahit saan.”/PN
