Isabela 6th district Rep. Faustino "Inno" Dy (standing, center) sponsors the Department of Tourism (DOT) budget on Sept. 19 as DOT Secretary Christina Frasco and Deputy Speaker Vincent Franco "Duke" Frasco listen (lower right). (PPAB)

The House plenary debate on the Department of Tourism's (DOT) proposed budget for 2024 lasted a mere 19 minutes, thanks to the power of love and persuasion. 

The DOT among those whose budgets were taken up Tuesday, Sept. 19 during first day of the plenary debates on the P5.768-trillion General Appropriations Bill (GAB). Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco led the officials who attended plenary. 

One of just three interpellators of the DOT budget, Basilan lone district Rep. Mujiv Hataman, came clean before asking his first question to budget sponsor Isabela 6th district Rep. Faustino "Inno" Dy. 

"Just for the record, Mr. Speaker, distinguished sponsor, yung ating deputy speaker po ay kanina pang lumalapit dito sa amin. Bilang pagmamahal daw niya sa secretary ng DOT, kung pwedeng igsian namin ang aming tanong at wag pahirapan ang Department of Tourism," Hataman said. 

(Our deputy speaker have been approaching us. As a sign of his love for the secretary of DOT, he's asking if we could shorten our questions and not give the Department of Tourism a hard time.) 

Hataman was referring to Deputy Speaker and Cebu 5th district Rep. Vincent Franco "Duke" Frasco, whose lovely wife is none other than the DOT chief.

"Nag-agree po ang minorya na pagbibigyan ang ating deputy speaker (The minority agreed to grant the deputy speaker's request)," the Mindanao lawmaker said. 

The debate on the DOT budget lasted from 8:19 p.m. to 8:38 p.m., which is a cakewalk by plenary standards. However, it should be noted that by that time, the House members have been interpellating the different agencies for close to 12 hours. 

Deputy Speaker Frasco sat next to the DOT secretary during the proceedings. 

"Dahil sa kindat ng ating deputy speaker (Since the deputy speaker is winking at me), I will now end my interpellation, and this representation supports the increase of the budget of the DOT," Hataman said tongue-in-cheek. 

Senior Deputy Minority Leader Northern Samar 1st district Rep. Paul Daza expressed satisfaction with the budget sponsor's answers.

"We are satisfied with the answers of the honorable Dy. We move to close the period of sponsorship and debate for the budget of the DOT," Daza said, triggering applause from the DOT officials.

The two other interpellators aside from Hataman were OFW Party-list Rep. Marissa "Del Mar" Magsino and Kabataan Party-list Rep. Raoul Manuel, both from the minority bloc.