By Wilnard Bacelonia | Philippine News Agency
The Presidential Communications Office (PCO) on Thursday got a commitment from Sen. Loren Legarda for its proposed 2025 budget to be increased.
This after Legarda found some of the programs of the agency “interesting,” particularly the Barangay Information Officers Network of the Philippine Information Agency.
“We suspend the briefing but we consider the budget as approved, subject to an increase after my study. I will not decrease you,” Legarda said before concluding PCO’s budget deliberation.
“If you give me good proposals then I can always increase your budget,” she said.
Under the 2025 National Expenditure Program (NEP), the PCO, along with its attached agencies and corporations, is proposing to spend P2.281 billion next year.
The PCO proper is asking P2.4 billion but was reduced to P713.3 million under the 2025 NEP.
“Gusto ko pang makita ang epekto ng kanilang pagpapatupad ng kanilang mandato. Bago lang ’yong nakaupo ngayon, si Secretary (Cesar) Chavez, kaya gusto ko silang tulungan para maiparating sa taumbayan ang lahat ng maaaring itulong ng gobyerno sa pinakaliblib na lugar,” Legarda said in a press briefing after the deliberation.
Legarda, who authored Republic Act No. 10390 that amended the charter of the People’s Television Network Inc. in 2013, is set to meet with the Network’s officials to be briefed on its current programming.
She is also set to meet with officials of the Apo Production Unit, as well as the Department of Foreign Affairs, to discuss the potential data breach issue which may affect passport holders.