The Office of the President (OP) will continue carrying out its core functions despite a proposed 64% cut in its budget for 2027, Executive Secretary Ralph Recto said Sunday.
The OP is seeking P10.15 billion for next year, down from the P28.03 billion appropriated for 2026.
Recto attributed the reduction to the streamlining of the OP’s 49 delivery units and the completion of activities related to the Philippines’ hosting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit this year.
“We are asking for less while remaining fully prepared to do more,” Recto said in a news release.
The proposed allocation represents about one seventh of 1% of the proposed P7.2 trillion national budget. Recto said it would still cover the President’s day to day functions, including Cabinet meetings, policy consultations, presidential engagements and coordination among government agencies.
The budget would also fund government responses to emergencies, assistance for vulnerable sectors, monitoring of economic plans and efforts to protect national interests.
Of the proposed P10.15 billion, P7.46 billion or 74% would go to Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses, while P1.86 billion or 18% would fund Personnel Services. Another P839 million or 8% would cover Capital Outlay.
Recto said the lower allocation would not reduce the demands on the OP, which continues to handle the President’s daily schedule and government coordination.
“Every day, the President’s schedule is full because the demands of governing do not pause. But activity alone is not our measure of performance,” he said.
The OP aims to ensure that policies, meetings, official engagements and government missions translate into concrete results, including jobs and investments, stronger national security and improved public services.
The House Committee on Appropriations endorsed the P10.15 billion proposal on Sept. 1 after lawmakers voted to end deliberations through “institutional and inter branch courtesy.”
Recto said the proposed budget followed the Department of Budget and Management’s rules and processes.
“We sought no special treatment,” he said.
Photo courtesy of Bongbong Marcos / FB
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