In less than 10 minutes, a Senate finance subcommittee has approved the Office of the President’s (OP) proposed P10.5 billion budget for 2025.
The OP's budget breezed through the upper chamber hearing chaired by Senator Grace Poe and was endorsed to the plenary on Monday, Sept. 23.
In his statement, Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin stated that the amount is 1.88 percent lower than last year's budget, they believe that it will be enough for the President to meet the exacting demands of being the head of state and of government, the chief architect of Philippine foreign policy, and commander-in-chief.
"Despite the reduction in the budget being proposed, rest assured Your Honors that the same will not affect the delivery of services of the President to the people," he added.
Poe noted the budget decrease due to some changes such as positions created, and a lower budget for travel utilization.
Meanwhile, Bersamin said that the Presidential activities that are geared towards the provision of effective and efficient services, as well as the provision of responsive executive policy directions on matters affecting the development of the country domestically and internationally, will still be constant and regular.
"Mindful of the need to fulfill the President's constitutional mandate with less financial requirement, in support of the Bagong Pilipinas brand of governance, these Presidential activities will, however, be conducted and held prudently and economically," he said.
"The budget adjustment will still be able to sufficiently accommodate the logistical requirements of honoring invitations from foreign leaders to visit their countries, as well as to carry out diplomatic initiatives which would yield job-creating investments that will hasten support to our post-pandemic economic recovery," he added.
Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada moved to terminate the briefing to extend parliamentary courtesy.
"We trust in the transparent and accountable stewardship of public funds by the Office of the President," he said.
"In the spirit of extending parliamentary courtesy to the head of a co-equal branch of the government, I move that we terminate the briefing on the proposed 2025 budget of the Office of the President and that it be deemed submitted to plenary," he added.
Senator Nancy Binay seconded the motion.