Senate okays P6.8-B OP budget

The Senate finance committee on Thursday approved without any opposition the proposed P6.77-billion budget of the Office of the President (OP) for 2019.

Finance committee chair Senator Loren Legarda was the only lawmaker present during the deliberations on the proposal.

Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea led the delegation from Malacañang.

12.3 percent higher

The OP’s proposed 2019 budget is 12.32 percent higher than its 2018 allocation of P6.031 billion.

The biggest increase was for capital outlay, which would get P511.66 million in 2019, an increase of 38.22 percent. The amount would be spent on retrofitting of buildings and replacement of old equipment.

Maintenance and other operating expenses, which would fund supplies and travel expenses, would increase by 11 percent to P5.18 billion, while personnel services, which would fund scheduled salary increases of government personnel, would increase by 8.45 percent to P1.078 billion.—LEILA B. SALAVERRIA