MANILA – The Office of the President’s (OP) budget got an increase for 2025 due to the country’s preparation for the Philippine hosting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit in 2026.
According to Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, the office of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. will receive an additional P5.2 billion budget, as agreed during the bicameral conference committee.
“That’s a very important part of our international relations,” Bersamin said in a press briefing in Malacañang Palace.
During the 43rd ASEAN Summit in Jakarta last year, President Marcos accepted the regional bloc’s request to be the ASEAN chair in 2026 after Myanmar withdrew its chairmanship.
The ASEAN chair is responsible not just for the leaders-level summits but all the other gatherings for the bloc.
“So, ASEAN 2026 will be hosted by the Philippines, we needed to start the work now. So humingi kami after the submission of the NEP (National Expenditure Plan). Humingi kami sa Congress ng supplemental funds in addition to what we proposed for the OP sa NEP to the tune of P5.2 billion for 2025,” Bersamin said.
“After 2025, we will ask for more, bigger, but that will be in the NEP that will be submitted in 2025 for 2026,” he added.
President Marcos named Bersamin as the ASEAN National Organizing Committee Chairperson in preparation for the country’s hosting of the annual gathering./PN
