(UPDATES) THE travel fund of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. for 2025 has been reduced by 8 percent, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) said on Thursday.
In a briefing in Malacañang, DBM Secretary Amenah Pangandaman said the proposed funding for the Chief Executive’s local and international trips for the coming year is P94 million, lower than the P1.14 billion allocated this year.
“We will still continue to go out, and we will market the Philippines as an investment destination. That will not stop,” Pangandaman said.
“The President has signed several memorandums of understanding and agreement, those would need follow-ups to ensure that the investments we gathered last year would actually push through,” she added.
This year, Marcos has so far visited eight countries: twice to Brunei and Australia, and once each to Vietnam, Germany, the Czech Republic, the United States and Singapore. These are on top of his numerous visits to different provinces to lead the distribution of various government aid to underprivileged citizens, particularly farmers and fisherfolk badly hit by the recent El Niño phenomenon, as well as those affected by past typhoons.
The P94 million quoted by the budget chief is included in the total proposed budget for the Office of the President, which is P10.446 billion. This includes the confidential fund of P2.250 billion and the intelligence fund of P2.310 billion.
Pangandaman has submitted to Marcos a copy of the proposed National Expenditure Program for 2025 which outlines the national government’s proposed programs.
Pegged at P6.352 trillion, the proposed budget for 2025 is 10.1 percent higher than the P5.759 trillion budget for 2024.
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