OP seeks P6.8-B budget for 2019; OVP’S budget cut

The Office of the President (OP) has requested Congress a P6.77-billion budget for next year, P742 million higher than the P6.03-billion allocation it got this year.

Of the proposed P6.77-billion budget of 2019, P5.19 billion will be earmarked for the maintenance and operating expenses of the OP, and P1.07 billion for personnel services.

In addition, P511 million will go to capital outlay, P1.25 billion for intelligence expenses, and P1.25 billion for confidential expenses.

Several items in the proposed budget for the OP for 2019 had a noticeable increase.

However, the office’s travel funds were reduced to P795 million for 2019, as compared to this year’s P885-million travel funds.

Under maintenance and other operating expenses, the President’s professional services will be raised to P386 million in 2019, from P302 million this year.

His representation allocation also more than doubled to P357 million for next year, from P153 million in 2018.

Other items that had increased budget proposals were repairs and maintenance, P257 million from P197 million; supplies and materials, P254 million from P128 million.

Communication, P140 million from P102 million; rent or lease, P143 million from P111 million; and utility expenses, P132 million from P103 million.

Lower VP budget

On the other hand, the Office of the Vice President (OVP) will receive a proposed budget of P447.6 million for 2019, or P95 million lower than its P543-million allocation for this year.

Of this figure, P350.1 million will go to maintenance and other operating expenses, P94.5 million for personnel services, and P3 million for capital outlays.

The proposed maintenance expenses of the OVP for 2019 include financial assistance and subsidy at P197 million, professional services at P32 million, representation at P27 million.

Travel funds at P25 million, supplies and materials at P15.5 million, and the repair and maintenance of leased assets at P4 million.

It may be recalled that the President, representing the executive branch of the government, submitted the proposed P3.757-trillion national budget for 2019 to Congress last week for its approval.