THE General Appropriations Act (GAA), popularly known in journalese as the national budget, is the one yearly legislation regularly enacted by Congress without which the government cannot continue to exist. It defines the sources of official funds and the spending program of the government. No matter what other important measures Congress may enact, the government will not stand without it. Even if Congress fails to enact any other measure during the year, provided it is able to enact the GAA on time, it can still claim to be doing its job; otherwise, it cannot.
Thus, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. may be able to withstand all other crises of governance, including those involving the Duterte family and the South China Sea, but he cannot ignore the crisis he is facing on the 2025 national budget.
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