2027 budget of Office of the President down 64% as ASEAN hosting ends

The Office of the President (OP) is asking Congress for PHP10.15 billion in 2027, about 64 percent lower than this year’s funding as expenditures tied to the Philippines’ hosting of ASEAN activities fall away.

Executive Secretary Ralph Recto presented the reduced spending plan before the Senate Committee on Finance on Wednesday, saying the amount represents only 0.14 percent of the proposed PHP7.2-trillion national budget.

“The substantial reduction reflects the lower operational requirements of our delivery units and the completion of activities related to the Philippines hosting of the ASEAN Summit, for which no additional funding will be required,” Recto said.

The proposed PHP10.15-billion allocation is 64.02 percent below the OP’s 2026 funding level, according to government figures earlier presented during budget deliberations.

“In short, we are asking for less while remaining fully prepared to do more,” Recto said.

He said the budget would sustain the operations of the OP’s 51 delivery units, including Cabinet meetings, policy consultations, presidential engagements, official travel and the daily operations of Malacañang.

The allocation would also support government assistance during emergencies and other functions of the presidency amid what Recto described as overlapping domestic and external challenges, including geopolitical tensions, disruptions in the Middle East, typhoons and El Niño.

Recto said the OP would measure its spending not by the number of activities conducted but by their impact on the public.

“The real test of every peso spent is whether it solves a problem, improves a life, or strengthens the nation,” he said.

He added that presidential engagements and official missions should produce what he described as a “public dividend” through jobs, investments, stronger national security, improved services or additional opportunities for Filipinos.

Recto also cited the Commission on Audit’s unmodified opinion on the OP’s 2025 financial statements, which he said marked the office’s third consecutive unmodified opinion since 2022.

“This is a badge of good housekeeping. This is proof that the Filipino people’s money is accounted for and that their trust is respected,” he said.

The House of Representatives had earlier approved the same PHP10.15-billion proposed OP budget during its deliberations this month.

At the Senate, the proposed budgets of the OP and the Presidential Management Staff were deemed submitted for plenary consideration without objection after the presentation.

“The budget of the Office of the President, the Presidential Management Staff, is now deemed submitted for the plenary’s consideration,” Finance Subcommittee A chair Joseph Victor "JV" Ejercito said.

-Philippine News Agency