DFA

The budget briefing on the fiscal year 2027 proposed budget of the Department of Foreign Affairs and attached agencies

is hereby called to order. Later on, we are expecting to be joined by our Senate President Win Gatchalian and our Finance Chair Senator JV Ejercito. They are just winding down next door the budget hearing of the Department of Transportation. So I would like to acknowledge the

presence of our DFA Secretary Ma. Theresa P. Lazaro. At this point may I ask the committee secretary to acknowledge our other resource persons for today's budget briefing?

Yes, thank you, Mr. Chair. Good afternoon po. The Committee on Finance, Subcommittee H, would like to acknowledge the following resource persons from the Department of Foreign Affairs. Earlier acknowledged by the Chair, we have Secretary Ma. Theresa P. Lazaro.

We have Undersecretary Maria Theresa Dizon-De Vega. Good afternoon po. We have Undersecretary Ma. Andrelita Austria. We have Undersecretary Leo Herrera-Lim. We have Assistant Secretary Maria Corina Reyes. And we have Undersecretary [unclear] Tagu.

Assistant Secretary Anna Marie Hernando. We have Assistant Secretary Marshall Louis Alferez. We have Assistant Secretary Robert Ferrer Jr. We have Assistant Secretary Emmanuel Donato Guzman.

Assistant Secretary Charmaine Serna Chua, Assistant Secretary [unclear] Lewis, Assistant Secretary Dina Joy Amato, Assistant Secretary Emilio Fernandez.

...

Assistant Secretary Robespierre

Bolivar. Director Maria Rosen Fanco, executive director for the Office of United Nations and International Organizations. From the Commission on Audit, we have Mr. Fahad bin Abdul Malik Tumawes and Ms. Janet Pineda.

From the Department of Budget and Management, we have Ms. Marie Rose Aguilar and Ms. Maricel Bison. I think [unclear]. Oh, the attached agency, sorry, my apologies. Undersecretary Antonio Habulan

from the Presidential Commission on Visiting Forces, and we have Secretary-General Ivan [unclear] from the UNESCO National Commission of the Philippines. We have Director General Neil Frank Ferrer from the Foreign Service Institute. I think I have acknowledged everybody.

Thank you. Today the Committee on Finance, Subcommittee H, will deliberate the budget proposal of the Department of Foreign Affairs and its attached agencies, namely the Foreign Service Institute,

the Presidential Commission on Visiting Forces, and the UNESCO National Commission of the Philippines. Under Republic Act No. 12314, the DFA was given a 28.32 billion budget for fiscal year 2026. For fiscal year 2027, the department is requesting 34.88 billion,

broken down into 34.62 billion for the Office of the Secretary, 161.7 million for the Foreign Service Institute, 51.4 million for the Presidential Commission on Visiting Forces, and 50.9 million for the UNESCO National Commission. The DFA is more than a government agency that issues passports, processes visas and conducts diplomacy. For more than 10 million Filipinos abroad, the DFA is the

Philippine government when they are farthest from home. Kapag may gyera, sakuna, pagkakakulong, pang-aabuso, anumang krisis, ang Pilipino ay umaasa po sa ating gobyerno. At sa mga oras na pinakamahirap at pinakamapanganib, the DFA must be more than a presence abroad. It must be a government that responds, protects, and brings its people home. Therefore, our test today is to ensure that the proposed 34.88 billion budget

It's fully aligned with this heavy mandate. We look forward to hearing how the department plans to utilize these funds to serve both our national interest and our people. And I believe I will be asking not only the DFA but its attached agency some questions. So you have to be prepared.

Before we go to the briefing proper, okay, let me take that. On that note, let us proceed with the briefing proper. We now recognize Secretary Lazaro for the presentation of DFA's proposed budget for fiscal year 2027. Madam Secretary, please proceed with your presentation if you have any.

Thank you very much, Senator Tulfo.

And the other members of the Senate Committee of Finance at a later stage.

On behalf of the Department of Foreign Affairs, allow me to thank this committee for the opportunity to present and discuss the department's proposed budget for fiscal year 2027.

Today's briefing is an opportunity to provide you with an overview of DFA and its attached agencies' key accomplishments, priorities, and proposed fiscal year 2027.

The work of the department continues to be anchored into the three pillars of Philippine foreign policy, preservation and enhancement of national security, promotion and attainment of economic security, and the protection of the rights and promotion of the welfare and interests of Filipinos overseas.

These pillars give our diplomatic engagements, our work in advancing the country's economic interests, and our delivery of consular services.

And assistance to national services to overseas Filipinos around the world.

For fiscal year 2027, the department is seeking a total budget of approximately 35,173,000,000 pesos, which will enable us to sustain our core operations and respond to the Philippines' growing requirements in national security, economic diplomacy, consular services,

assistance to nationals and organizational development.

We hope that today's briefing will provide the committee with a clear picture

of the department's work and resources required to carry out our mandate effectively.

The key officials of the department and our attached agencies are also present

to respond to the questions of the committee.

We are grateful for the continued support of the Senate,

for the department and its programs,

and we look forward to a constructive discussion on our proposed 2027 budget.

Thank you very much.

Actually, Mr. Chair, if we can just present a very short PowerPoint presentation

to encompass the whole situation of the...

Please do so, Secretary Lazaro.

And if there are any other attached agencies who will make presentation,

before we'll be asking questions,

I'll allow you guys to...

to make your presentation first before we will ask questions.

Go ahead.

Good afternoon, Your Honor, Chair.

Thank you very much for allowing us this opportunity

to present the Department of Foreign Affairs accomplishments for 2026

and budgetary thrusts for 2027.

Next slide, please.

This is a snapshot of what was mentioned earlier,

the department's budgetary ask for 2027,

the total,

and compared to...

to the 2026 GAA,

which represents a 22.1% increase over 2026.

Our mission, of course, as the Secretary mentioned in her opening statement,

is to promote and protect Philippine interests in the global community.

And our vision that undergirds our operations

is a resilient foreign service for strong Philippines.

Next slide, please.

Here, the budgetary asks of our attached agencies

from the Foreign Service Institute,

the UNICOM,

and the Presidential Commission on Visiting Forces,

I believe they will be presenting more details of this budget later on.

Next slide, please.

As the Secretary mentioned in her remarks,

we are guided by the three pillars of Philippine foreign policy,

the protection of Philippine national security,

the promotion of our economic security,

and the protection of the rights and welfare of our nationals overseas.

These are undergirded by our efforts to undertake public and cultural diplomacy

to create a friendly environment overseas,

for Philippine interests,

and our efforts to strengthen the DFA as an organization.

Next slide, please.

The priority, major priority for 2026 is our ASEAN chairship

under the theme,

Navigating Our Future Together.

By the end of the year,

we would have hosted over 640 meetings nationwide,

26 at the head of state level,

and we anticipate six agreements to be signed during this year.

Next slide, please.

One of the highlights of the summit in Cebu earlier this year

is the declaration on maritime cooperation,

which was issued by the leaders.

And a highlight of that declaration is the proposal to create

an ASEAN maritime center to be hosted by the Philippines,

which was welcomed by all ASEAN member states.

Next slide, please.

Of course, a major part of our efforts is to defend our sovereignty,

sovereign rights and jurisdictions in the West Philippine Sea,

and this year coincides with the 10th anniversary

of the arbitral award on the South China Sea.

And during the anniversary in July,

10 partner countries along with the Philippines issued a statement

reaffirming...

the legally binding nature of the arbitral award next slide please

uh as far as bilateral engagements are concerned uh the dfa led in the preparations

for leader level uh engagements by the president uh several outbound visits to the uae the united

states japan canada russia and singapore and several inbound visits by the leaders of vietnam

Bhutan, Paraguay, the Republic of Korea and Germany, and of course the 48th ASEAN Summit in Cebu

earlier this year where the President welcomed his ten counterparts from the ten other ASEAN

member states, and we are looking forward to hosting the 49th ASEAN Summit in November

with all other ten ASEAN member states plus the dialogue partners in attendance.

next slide please at the united nations uh the president also uh attended uh

the un general assembly uh in march of this year and these are part of the highlights of

the presidential engagement uh the secretary also represented uh the philippines at the

un general assembly in september in 2025 where she convened the foreign ministerial meeting

on maritime security which was attended by 40 participating countries 28 of whom delivered

interventions in support of a rules-based maritime order and the primacy of the un convention on the

sea we also delivered statements and convened high-level side events on loss and damage

uh coinciding with our hosting of the fund for the uh board of law or loss and damage next slide

please as far as economic cooperation uh the dfa supports our lead agencies in our inter-agency

efforts to advance our interest in education through the advancing multilateral recognition of

philippine credentials overseas

also promoting creative industries supporting the philippine creative industries development plan

and promoting philippine creative content talent and design abroad

for technical cooperation as we will hear later that the technical cooperation council the

philippines has been integrated back into the dfa and we now have we now launched development

cooperation philippines which is a more proactive development cooperation of the philippines for our

neighbors next slide please in terms of protecting filipinos overseas

out of the 10.5 million ofws 2.7 million are ofws under the dmw directly under the dmw of course

this means that a large part of our overseas population is still being served and protected

by the dfa these include the tourists migrants permanent residents spouses of foreign nationals

and other nationals which are not classified as overseas filipino workers these are also a

snapshot of the statistics of the numbers of filipino nationals we've assisted throughout the

year out of 67 foreign service posts sorry out of 105 foreign service posts only 67

do not have a migrant workers office which are resident in those countries

and of those foreign service posts it's still the dfa which assists filipinos in those jurisdictions

next slide please

uh this is a snapshot uh your honor of the consular services uh we brought closer to the

filipino people

uh bolivar i'm sorry for cutting in so whatever happens or to to those filipinos

na walang siniservice walang office on dmw who handles those problems nila

sir it's uh the df

the department of foreign affairs to our embassies and consulates uh in those jurisdictions sir

well

Mayroon bang labor attache office, sir?

Yung labor attache po was basically renamed as the Migrant Workers Office. So kung wala pong MWO din po doon

wala rin pong labor attache po?

Wala.

So how do you handle that kung labor problems

issues, contracts, benefits?

Sir, of course, we coordinate with the Migrant Workers Office

which has to risk jurisdiction over that country maybe it's not resident in that particular country

but of course we also have our diplomatic and consular officers sir who are looking after our

filipinos

may mga instances by mga areas na walang dmw and yet nagpapa-rescue kailangan ng

tulong are there instances na may ganun din kayo

Yes, sir. Mayroon po.

Sorry, if you wish for details, sir.

You just, go ahead po. Go ahead, Usec Tago.

Thank you, sir. Um, sa mga embahada at saka konsulado na walang

uh labor attache or migrant worker office

usually nagbibigay ng tulong is yung consular officer uh usually

ang title is vice consul or uh consul or consul general these are they are

usually diplomatic officials uh from the embassy and under the direct supervision

ng ambassador at saka yung dfa po

okay meron din bang uh yusec tago na representative

na from uh overseas workers welfare administration

Kung wala mang MWO, isa na lang yun.

Usually, ang OWA is part and parcel of yung MWO or POLO.

They do not exist independently ng mga MWO.

Usually din ang pwedeng gawin ng embahada is i-refer either sa MWO na may jurisdiction

or sa DFA na pwedeng sumulat sa OWA kung kailangan, kung membro sila ng OWA.

Kung hindi, ang embahada ang in-charge at nagbibigay ng tulong po.

Secretary Lazaro, tama po ba ito on my list?

We have 38 embassies na wala pong MWO, walang migrant worker officers.

38 po siya. Is this correct?

Actually, salamat po. Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.

Actually, we have 67 posts that have no offices of the DMW.

That includes the Philippine consulates, right?

Opo. Which means po, sa tanong nyo kanina, kami po, ang mga embassies and consulates ng DFA

are the ones helping them, assisting them, repatriating them.

Kagaya po ng example ko is, let's say,

Iran. Wala pong DMW office doon.

Pero nung nagkaroon ng digmaan, kailangan po natin tulungan yung mga Pilipino na may asawa,

yung mga Iranian nationals.

So, nililipat natin sila sa Turkey.

So, it's all the work of our embassies and consulates kasi wala pong DMW.

Para sa kalaman po ng mga kababayan natin na nanonood po sa atin live po sa social media, sa mga TV,

ano?

Anong reasons bakit wala po tayo, or maging mga OFWs na nanonood sa atin, na wala pong offices ang DMW?

Ang understand…

Anong reasons nito? Is it ayaw ng bansa na may DMW tayo doon?

Or ano ang dahilan? Matagal na po itong natatanong sa akin.

Various reasons, Mr. Chair.

Kagaya na sinabi nyo, well, may dahilan din po kung minsan ayaw ng host country,

for one reason or the other.

Pero continuous pa rin po.

Discussions namin, lalo na sa tingin ng DFA at saka ng DMW na kailangan po talaga i-establish yung office.

Pangalawa, I think may konti lang pong delay.

But lahat po na in-apply yan ng DMW for an establishment of an office,

na ano naman po, na sasagot naman at unti-unti ho nabubuksan.

Like, kamanyari, dito sa Southeast Asia,

may mga areas na, mga scam areas, kailangan po talaga i-establish yung mga DMW office.

But it's taking time. May burokrasya din po yung mga host country.

So, yun din po ang isang sa mga dahilan.

Asics, ikang presentation. I have two more questions.

Yung mga maghahandle po from DFA na mga about labor,

is he well-briefed or is he equipped to handle problems of an overseas worker Filipino?

Yung mga foreign service officers natin?

Check if I can answer.

Please.

Opo. Just to give an example, kami po lahat ang in-charge ng assistance to nationals in the past.

Kailan lang po dumating yung DMW.

So, ang mga tao po namin are, if I can be, I can say,

they're very skilled in handling assistance to national cases.

Kasi yan po ang third pillar namin eh bago dumating ang DMW.

Na hanggang ngayon naman po ay ginagawa namin sa mga estudyante, mga migrants, mga tourists.

But yes, our people are very well-trained.

Sa mga bansang sekretary na wala pong MWO,

ano po ang country na may pinakamaraming Pilipino pero wala po tayong representative from MWO

or DMW?

Isa po sa naiisip ko lang ngayon is, well, actually, Nigeria po.

Wala pa po tayong, wala pa po.

Yan po sa Africa.

Sa Asia po, I think,

Vietnam, wala pa po tayo yan.

Sa Laos,

Cambodia,

yan po yung mga importante kasi nandun po yung mga areas ng scams.

Ang nangyayari, although kabubukas lang daw po,

although kami po ang, it's our embassies who really were taking care of them.

Meron din pong mga sa Europe,

Russia,

France,

wala pa po yan.

Nasa pipeline pa po sila.

Pero may mga ilan-ilan po.

Pero hindi po yan.

Ang tingin ko po rito, Mr.

Chair, hindi naman po talaga magkakaroon lahat ng mga MWO offices kasi po nandun naman.

We have 105 posts na po ngayon eh.

So lahat po itong mga posts na ito can handle.

In the absence of an MWO,

the DFA personnel can handle itong mga problems po.

About labor, about problems po ng OFWs natin.

Definitely, sir.

Your honor.

All right.

Thank you.

Mr. Bolivar, go ahead.

Please continue.

Thank you, Your Honor, Madam Secretary.

Could you please move forward to the consular services?

Your Honor, ito po yung snapshot po ng ating consular services delivered to the public for 2026.

As of 31 August 2026, we've delivered over 1.5 million passports,

almost 68,000 visas and e-visas,

more than 400,000 apostille certificates,

and more than 36,000 civil

registry reports.

We have 42 consular offices nationwide.

And as of 31 August 2026,

we have undertaken 35 passport on wheels activities

to reach out to communities which do not have resident consular offices po.

Next slide po.

Isa pong priority din natin is the digital transformation of consular services

to make it possible po for our public to apply online for several consular services.

Ngayon po ang ating ginawa po

is

fully digital apostille by 16 March

2026. Ang mga kababayan po natin

pwede na mag-apply fully online

ng PSA Civil Registry e-certificates,

CHED

academic records or e-CABs

and yung Marina Seafarer

certificates po, which can also

be fully digitalized

and fully apostilled online.

77 of our

Foreign Service posts are also now issuing

e-visas po para mapadali

yung application ng ating mga

incoming tourists. And we are

continuing with our phased rollout

since 2023 in cooperation with the

DICT. Next slide, please.

Noong 2025 po,

we opened,

kagaya po nang na-mention ni Secretary,

three Foreign Service posts.

Our first resident embassy

in the Pacific, in Suva, Fiji,

which services over

1,500 Filipinos in

Fiji and the

neighboring Pacific Islands.

We also opened post in

South Korea, Busan, our Consulate

General, which can reach out to

20,800 overseas

Filipinos. Busan is also

the creative industry capital

of Korea. And

we reopened our Consulate General

in Seattle, which can reach

167,000 or

168,000 almost

Filipinos in the Washington area,

in Alaska, and the Pacific Northwest.

Next slide, please.

Ito po,

opening our

will be opened in 2026 to

2027. We just opened our

Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City,

which can reach out to 1,800 Filipinos

in that part of

Vietnam. It's

also the industrial capital of Vietnam.

Before the end of the

year, we hope to open yung ating

embassy in Accra, Ghana, which

can reach out to 1,586

Filipinos, covering seven countries in

Africa. Also, our

first resident embassy in Central Asia,

in Astana, Kazakhstan, which can

reach out to 5,000 Filipinos

in Kazakhstan.

Yes, sir.

These numbers that

we are seeing right

now, 1-8, 1-5, ito po

yung population ng

Filipino sa country na yan, or hindi

naman, not necessarily?

Doon po sa jurisdiction ng

mga post na yan. So, kunyari po

ang Ho Chi Minh, 1-8 po, pero

meron po tayong embassy in Hanoi, which covers

a separate number of Filipinos.

Is that mixed already?

Migrants?

O-F-Ws?

Yes, sir.

Go ahead. Thank you.

Thank you, sir. So, sa Kazakhstan po,

which can reach out to 5,000 Filipinos

in Kazakhstan, or a total of

6,500 Filipinos across five

countries in Central Asia.

And in 2027 po,

we hope to open our Consulate General

in Miami.

to reach out to 200,000 Filipinos

in Southwest United States

and also

in the Caribbean, including Bermuda,

which will bring us to

105 Philippine Embassies, Missions

and Consulates General by

2027. By comparison po,

we have 74

resident foreign embassies in

Manila, some of which have just been

opened this year. Next slide,

please.

Ito po yung snapshot po ng ating

DFA budget as opposed to the

total national expenditure program.

Next slide.

Kasama po sa ating mga priorities

for next year and the coming years

is the next generation

Philippine passport, which will feature

a redesigned passport booklet, enhanced safety

features, latest electronic chip

technology and additional passport pages

to make it a more

better use for 10-year

validity. Ang estimated

rollout po natin is June 2028

although from now until that time

there are several projects that need to be

done in order for us to launch

the next generation Philippine passport

by June 2028.

Next slide po.

In terms of our budget

wish list po, which your staff

asked us po during our coordination meeting,

300 million additional

for DFA's building fund,

200 million for the enhancement

of DFA's cyber security capabilities,

6.5 million

health insurance coverage for Foreign Service

Institute personnel, over 100

personnel if I'm not mistaken,

and 6 million augmentation of the

MOE for the Office of Asian and Pacific

Affairs. Most

of these po, we just wanted to

note po, were included in our

budget proposal but which were not

included by the DBM and the

NEP for this year.

Next slide please.

Maraming salamat po, Your Honor.

Thank you.

May mga yung sinasabi nyo

na nag-request kayo pero hindi po

napagbigyan. I've already talked to

Secretary Lazaro. Secretary Lazaro,

in your

2024

ga'a,

there was like 10 billion

ang naging unused appropriations.

Then in 2025,

27.4 billion po ang ga'a

ninyo but then yung unused

appropriations,

appropriations is 12.4.

And then this year,

28.3 billion,

23 billion

ang unused appropriations po po.

So, how do you expect,

how will you explain to this

committee,

to this committee na

binabaan kayo and yet you're requesting

na hindi binigay

sa inyo. When the DBM

very glaring,

Secretary, hindi po ninyo nagagamit.

So, tatama lang nang siguro sa sabihin ng DBM we might as well give it to some, give it somewhere else or give it to somebody else who really needs it.

Your take, Secretary.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. But for the specifics of this, of your question, I'll ask may ASIC for Fiscal Management to respond to that. Thank you.

Go ahead, ASIC.

Emilio Fernandez.

Good afternoon, Your Honour.

Accounting for the unused appropriations are certain major expenditures, including, number one, there's the commencement, itong retrofitting project ng DFA headquarters along Rojas Boulevard.

It had funding in 2024, but because of initial failed bidding it only commenced in 2025.

So yung budget niya for entire year of 2024 and part of 2025, hindi ho nagamit.

Also, there's the lower availment of the ATN and Legal Assistance Fund.

I think it was mentioned earlier due to the creation of Department of Migrant Workers in 2023.

So in 2023 to 2024, ATN fund use from 826 million naging 639 million na lang ho.

And 2024 to 2025, from 639 million, its use was 498 million na lang in 2025.

But if we were to look at the five years from 2021 to 2026 period,

6 billion ho ang...

Appropriation for the ATN fund of the 6 billion, 4 billion was obligated.

So about 67%.

Another factor, Your Honor, was the lower demand for passports.

In 2024, there was an appropriation of 4 billion.

This was part still of the 10-year MICA, Multi-Year Contractual Authority 2016 to 2026.

Of the 4 billion...

And 2.1 billion lang ho ang na-obligate.

And in 2025, of the 4.3 billion appropriation, 1.9 billion lang ho ang na-obligate.

And this stems to a great deal from the lengthening of the validity of passports in 2018

from 5 years ginawa hung 10 years.

But we'll see an uptick in the demand for passports once again come 2028.

Another factor, Your Honor, postponement of certain building fund projects.

Itong building fund, this is used for the acquisition, redevelopment,

even major repairs of government-owned properties that we have abroad.

2024, for example, there was the deferment to the following year of projects in Wellington, Hong Kong, Phnom Penh, Cairo.

So even our...

Our OCA building here along Justado Macapagal Boulevard.

In 2025, there was the supposed procurement of a chancery in Abu Dhabi and Doha.

But because of local host country regulations, na-defer ho ito to 2026.

And a couple of other factors, there was the opening of foreign service posts in 2024.

Itong Helsinki, Dublin, Bucharest, and Bogota.

They had funds for the entire year of 2024, but it wasn't until the third or fourth quarter when they were opened.

And also in 2025, with the opening of our embassies in Suva and consulates in Busan, Seattle, and Ho Chi Minh,

it was not until third quarter, fourth quarter, when they were opened, leading to...

To funds that were not utilized in the first semester of the year.

So those are among the factors, Your Honor, for the low utilization.

Actually, not low because ang BOR ho natin in 2024 was 83%.

In 2025, 80%.

And for those funds, part of the 10 billion and 12 billion that you mentioned,

ang valiti ho niya, MOE and capital outlay, is for two years.

So they became continuing appropriations for the following year.

That's when ginagamit ho sila.

Thank you.

Can you confirm, Asec Fernandez, na on the 2024 budget, 12.4 billion in 2025,

it says here 6.3 billion of that in appropriations were not released by the DBM to DFA, Osec.

Can you confirm that?

Thank you, Your Honor.

Yes, in 2024...

Yung unused was, you're correct, 10 billion.

Of the 10 billion, 4.2 yung kinatawag na unobligated allotment.

So carried over to the following year because of the two-year validity.

And then meron hung part dyan, tinatawag na unreleased appropriation.

And itong unreleased appropriation, these are the expenses na subject to special allotment release.

Tinatawag na SARO.

And mainly it's for the e-passport budget.

Now, again, because hindi ho nagagamit in full yung passports,

part of it nasasoli kung mag-expire na,

and part of it nagiging continuing appropriations.

Again, it's because of the projections that were made way back in 2015 for the 10-year MICA.

Medyo sumobra.

But for the later years, so only part of the passport budget ang nagagamit.

So big chunk, nagiging unused appropriations.

So the 6.3 billion na hindi po naibigay ng BBM, ano ito? Part of what is this?

6 billion, ito ho yung for the passports, for the passport budget.

And the small part, tinatawag ko na international commitments fund.

It's in the amount of 50 million.

If it isn't released, don't you call DBM and say we need it?

Or you do?

If it isn't released, if it's going to be part of continuing appropriations,

magagamit ho yan the following year.

So they keep it intact for the needs.

Let me just go to the Department of Budget and Management.

Maybe Ms. Aguilar or Ms. Dizon,

can you answer this?

Ano po nangyari, ma'am, at hindi po na-release yung 6.3 billion appropriations

para sa DFA o SEC?

Anong dahilan o basis ng non-release ng mga pondong ito?

Kaya minsan, hindi lang po ito first time ko narinig.

Narinig ko sa other agencies, kahit previous budget,

ang hindi na-release ng DBM.

Ano po mga reasons po ba na hindi po agad na-release ng DBM?

Yes po, good afternoon.

In the case po kasi ng DFA,

ang bulk po ng mga unrelease APRO nila is pertaining po dun sa e-passport

which is subject po to the submission of special budget request.

Ang nangyari po kasi sa DFA,

because of hindi po nila nagagamit yung current provision nila for the e-passport

and nagkakaroon po ng continuing,

so nagkakaroon po siya ng spillover the following year.

So ang nare-release lang po for the DFA,

i-request po nila is yung continuing appropriation.

So ang nangyayari po, lumalaki po yung unrelease APRO nila

kasi hindi po nila nagagamit yung current appropriations.

I don't know if the good secretary can answer this or ask Si Fernandez.

Magkano na po ang overall disbursement rate ng DFA as of August 31, 2026 this year?

Kasi dito po as of June,

may 23 billion pa po kayo na unused appropriations

of the 28.3 billion po sa gaan ninyo.

That was June, pero siyempre on August po, I'm asking for August 31.

Your Honor, as of the end of August,

our BURs in the neighborhood are 55%.

In big year, sir, that will be 55%.

Out of the 28.3, that will be around what?

About 14?

Ah, billion na ang nagagastos ninyo?

Mga 15 na lang natitira or 13 billion na lang natitira?

If you're saying 55%?

Your Honor, 17.5 billion.

17.5 billion ang natitira?

Ang nagamit.

Ang nagamit.

Ang na-appropriate?

Yes, ang na-obligato.

17.5 billion.

Alright, moving to another issue.

Ito po ang 1.6 billion in budgetary adjustments.

May mga transfer po kayong ginawa.

Miscellaneous personal benefits funds, 1.5B.

Pension and gratuity funds, 77 million.

Contingent fund, 26.1 million.

Mababa po ang utilization rate,

pero kinakailangan ninyo maglipat ng pondo.

Saan po ba ginagamit ang budgetary adjustments?

...

Yes, Your Honor.

Usually, itong mga budgetary

adjustments, these are the additional

requirements for personal

services, usually at post

na nire-request ko sa DBM.

Yes, yes.

Alright.

Isa pa hong nakikita natin, legal assistance po, under din po ito sa OSEC, di po ba?

Yes, Your Honor.

Now, the question here is 364.5 million po was appropriated but only 2.4 million has been utilized.

Bakit parang less than 1% lang po utilization natin?

Sobra-sobra ho yung binigay sa inyo.

Considering na nababalitaan natin sa mga diaryo naman na may mga nakukulong tayo, mga Pilipino.

May mga mamet, tatanungin ko si Secretary,

kumusta na po itong mga kababayan natin?

Ilan pa po ang nasa detro?

Ilan yung na sintensyang habang buhay na pagkabilanggo?

Ilan na po ang nakalabas?

Ano-ano mga bansa po ito?

Please get ready, Secretary Lazaro.

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

For the Legal Assistance Fund specifically,

with now the DMW's Action Fund absorbing most legal cases,

the DMW and MWOs maintain their own legal retainers overseas.

So the bulk of OFW legal cases are now funded through the Action Fund.

We have, however, charged to the Legal Assistance Fund

for 25 cases for 7 OFWs,

or OFs, or Overseas Filipinos,

and for the 2M,

2026 Legal Assistance Fund,

actually 16 cases of OFs,

mostly in countries na walang MWOs at saka yung status po nila.

They are not OFWs.

They are either tourists, students, migrants,

permanent migrants.

So yung explanation po ninyo, Yusek Tagu,

ay kasi ang humahawak na ng legal assistance,

ng mga OFWs, ay DMWs.

So ano na lang po ang hinahawakan po ninyo?

Ano po yung tinutulungan ninyo?

Kung wala na po sa inyong office ang mga OFWs,

sino-sino na lang po ang mga tinutulungan ninyo?

Sir, ang nahawakan namin, ang jurisdiction namin ngayon is

one, tourist, yung mga in-transit doon na nagkaroon ng kaso,

like in-transit or tourist.

Yung permanent migrant,

pilgrim, if any.

And ang qualification po is that it would be

unable to engage the services of a council

or in a country without a system of legal aid.

Sir?

Yung mga nasa kulungan po,

nasa mga bilibit ng iba't-ibang bansa,

karamihan po dito mga OFW po,

hindi naman po sila talagang mga turista lang

or kundi mga OFWs po,

hindi naman po sila talagang mga turista lang lalo sa Middle East.

Alright, what about sa Sabah, Malaysia po?

Ito po ba yung mga nakakulong doon, yung pinapadeport lagi,

OFWs po ito, o anong status nila?

Sa atin yan.

We consider outreach.

They are the jurisdiction of the DFA,

as long as they are not OFWs there, sir.

So, bottom line, na yung natutulungan po ng DFA,

So, bottom line, na yung natutulungan po ng DFA,

ay hindi po migrant workers o hindi po OFWs.

Pero my question now is, paano po,

sino po ang tutulong doon sa mga babae natin?

Marami rin po po ito.

And I was once a TNT.

Sino po ang tutulong? Paano po matutulungan ito?

At assistance, anong klaseng assistance binibigay natin dito?

Natago ng tago.

And would you have numbers right now kung ilan yung mga TNT na sa Middle East,

na sa US, na sa European Union,

do we have those figures, sir?

Yung mga nagturista pero ayaw na umuwi,

maghanap na ng trabaho doon,

nagbaba ka sa Cali.

Sir, we do.

They are, however, estimates.

Part of the report to Congress,

sinasubmit po ng lahat ng bawat embahada,

sinasubmit din natin every six months to both houses of Congress,

is yung report to Congress.

Doon nakalagay yung estimates of permits,

estimates of permanent migrants, temporary migrants,

which can include OFW.

And then the third and final category is undocumented.

Of course, usually, sir, these are estimates ng mga embahada natin.

Hindi sila exact number.

Ang mga mission natin, mga embassies and consulates,

are ready to extend help to anyone regardless of their residency status sa bansa.

Some, if they don't approach, then we are unable to extend, of course.

Pero usually, all of them, any Filipino would qualify based on kung nasaan po sila.

But how do you reach out to these people?

Kaya nga po, undocumented, tago ng tago, natatakot po sila lumutang.

Is there a way kaya na you reach out to them?

Or do you use communications sa mga Pilipino na OFW din na,

kachismisan nila doon,

Oye, pwede kang bumihingi ng tulong kahit nawala kang papel?

Usually, ganun po eh.

Na ito, legit nakakapitbahay niya o ka-boarding house siya,

siya, undocumented, nagkakwentuhan sila.

Pinaparating din po ba ninyo na,

Oye, pwede kayo lumapit sa ating DFA?

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Kagaya po, yung tungkol po sa tanong ninyo,

I just want to give a general...

description.

Out of 10.5 million Filipinos overseas,

actually, kulang-kulang po...

10.5 kasama na po doon ang OFWs?

Opo.

At 3 million, according to the MW, are OFWs.

Which means, sir, 10.5 minus 3.

Yung natitira nun, nasa jurisdiction namin yun.

Tungkol po doon sa tanong nyo, how do we...

Kagaya po siguro yung mga nangyari sa Amerika recently,

yung mga actions taken by ICE,

and many others, ano po yun?

There is also a number of Filipino community,

malakas po ang Filipino-American community natin,

as well as NGOs,

and we try to...

Our embassy and consulates have their ears on the ground,

at nalalaman po namin kung may mga nangangailangan na tulong.

At lumalapit naman po sila,

because yun po ng pronouncement ng ating mga embassies and consulates na,

tungkol doon sa problema na yun,

at kung paano kami makakatulong.

Since we're already talking, Secretary,

about mga Filipinos overseas, di po ba?

Ito po ipadala po ng media.

These are questions from the media who's watching right now next door,

doon sa press office nila.

Ang question po nila,

namamonitor din po ba ng DFA yung mga kababayan natin?

Example, Zaldy Co.

Is he still in France?

Ano po ang status?

Are you monitoring his status?

Kung nag-apply siya ng asylum?

Kung pumasa ba ito, nabigyan ba ng asylum?

Does France inform us like,

Hoy, isang citizen nyo nag-apply ng asylum.

Can you answer?

Because definitely they will ask us, di ba?

Bakit nag-apply si Zaldy Co ng asylum?

Anything wrong?

I mean, then do you answer?

Secretary Lazaro.

Mr. Chair, ang European Union,

in France included,

have very strict privacy issues.

So, kung nag-file man po siya ng asylum,

hindi po bibigyan, hindi tayo bibigyan na informasyon.

Because this is their law.

This is their regulation.

So, yun po ang status.

So, maski na po anong tanong ng ating embahada,

eh hindi po tayo bibigyan na informasyon.

Again, based on their very strict privacy issues.

Ganun din po sa Austria with Harry Roque.

So, wala po tayong kung anong status?

Hindi po tayo ini-inform ng host country na isang citizen ninyo?