OP, PMS

the secretary to, um, to acknowledge our resource persons present for today.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Good afternoon.

For the briefing on the proposed FY2027 budget of the Office of the President and the Presidential Management Staff,

we would like to acknowledge our resource persons,

From the Office of the President, we have Executive Secretary Ralph Recto, together with Secretary Nassar Pangandaman Sr.

From the Office of the Presidential Advisor for Marawi Rehabilitation, Senior Deputy Executive Secretary Maria Luwalhati Dorotan Tiuseco,

Deputy Executive Secretary Joseph Irvin Obenza, Deputy Executive Secretary Jesse Hermogenes Andres,

Deputy Executive Secretary Danielle Marie Rieza-Culangen, Deputy Executive Secretary Dennis Santiago,

Undersecretary Athalia Leong, Executive Director Danilo Pamonag, Undersecretary Facundo Palafox IV,

Undersecretary Georgina Anyang, Undersecretary Erwin Sta. Ana, Undersecretary Leonardo Roy Cervantes, and Assistant Secretary Rowena Sanchez.

From the Presidential Management Staff, we have Secretary Elaine Masukat, together with Undersecretary Mark Cristeo Gimenez,

Undersecretary Honey Rose Mercado, Undersecretary Rodolfo John Robert Palattao IV,

Assistant Secretary Juan Emanuel Reyes, Director Glazel May Galanzoga, and Director Karen Gayle Feble.

We have also invited representatives from DBM and COA.

For DBM, Director Elena Regina Brillantes is only attending the budget briefing of the PCO, but in the room are Ms. Laurie Ann Javier, Ms. Mary Ann Queenie Alaiza Tamayo, and Ms. Michelle Amedala Yepes.

From COA, we have Mr. Engelbert Potente and Ms. Janeline Maga. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you.

Likewise, the Chair would like to acknowledge the presence of our Senate President for joining.

Thank you for joining us. Our Senate President, Win Gatchalian, is with us today.

I'd just like to give my opening statement. Good afternoon,

Executive Secretary Ralph Recto, of course, our PMS Head, Secretary Elaine Masukat, officials and staff of the Office of the President and the Presidential Management Staff, and to my esteemed colleagues in the Senate.

We are here today to tackle the...

Proposed Fiscal Year 2027 Budget of the Office of the President and the Presidential Management Staff.

The Office of the President sits at the center of the executive branch.

It provides direction across the government and ensures that the priorities of the administration translates into concrete programs and tangible results to our people.

Meanwhile, the Presidential Management Staff supports the President by monitoring these priorities and coordinating with other departments and agencies.

Given these important responsibilities of these offices, we want to ensure that the resources we provide are put to good use.

Whether it's allocated to a frontline social service agency or to the highest office in the land, we will ensure that all items allocated are properly executed and spent strictly for the public good.

At the same time, we recognize the longstanding tradition of inter-parliamentary courtesy according to the Office of the President.

And we approach its budget with due respect for the institution and its mandate.

With that, we look forward to a productive discussion on your proposed budget.

Thank you very much.

Before we proceed, I would like to ask our colleagues, our Senate President, for his opening statements, if any.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

First of all, we welcome our colleagues from the Office of the President.

At alam ko, napaka-busy ho sila dahil sa...

...ASEAN na padating na.

And this coming November 16 to 18 will be a very big event for our country because mag-host tayo ng ASEAN heads of state.

At hindi lang ASEAN heads of state, but narinig ko na pati si President Trump might be coming to the Philippines.

So, isa yan sa pinakamahalagang event na ipapakita natin sa buong mundo.

With that, having said that...

...Mr. Chairman, typically meron tayong inter-parliamentary courtesy na binibigay sa Office of the President.

Pero hindi lang inter-parliament courtesy, meron pang inter-senator courtesy dahil ang head ay isang former or inter-colleague courtesy dahil ang executive secretary ay dati nating kasamahan.

Na nandito sa side dati na tinatanong yung sa kabilang side.

So, after the presentation, Mr. President...

...Mr. Chairman...

...uh, I'll...

move for the approval of the budget

of the Office of the President.

Okay. Thank you, our Senate President.

Likewise, our colleague,

Senator Francis Kiko Pangilinan

is with us this afternoon. Thank you, sir,

for joining us. Senator Villanueva.

Yeah, not to

further delay the

proceedings, let me just

again welcome our

friends from

the Office of the President and

I was about to

mention the same thing that was

mentioned by our dear Senate President

na hindi lang

parliamentary courtesy yung

i-re-remind natin sa bawat isa

but yung

colleague courtesy.

It's so weird to

see our

former colleague on the

other side of the table and

he's been our mentor

since we came

here in this institution

and not just that, he is

a senior fraternity brother

of this representation.

So how can I ask questions

to this budget?

So, Mr. Chairman,

let me just again reiterate

what the Senate President

mentioned a while ago. After the

presentation, I will join

the motion of the Senate President

in moving for

the submission

of the budget of the

Office of the President and the

Presidential Management Staff

and its attached agencies

for plenary action.

Mr. Chairman, marami pong salamat and again,

we welcome and thank the presence

of our

co-public servants

here in this room today.

Thank you very much, especially of course to

Executive Secretary Ralph Recto. Thank you.

Thank you, Senator Villanueva and Senator Pangilinan.

Thank you, Senator

JV Ejercito,

to our colleagues in the Senate,

of course my colleague

in the Senate,

the, was it the 12th

Congress? Senate?

No? Yes, we

won. He was the

youngest senator and I was

the second youngest senator.

Although, some

people would say, I look younger

than him.

My wife would disagree.

And therefore,

I would joke saying

he is the youngest senator

then and I was the youngest looking

senator then. But, it's just a joke.

I join my colleagues in saying

that we shall

respect the

inter-parliamentary courtesy

afforded the office of the

President and of course the

former colleague as well.

Perhaps we will just request

before plenary that we

can set a separate meeting

with the Anti-Agriculture Economic

Sabotage Council

so that we can get updates on

the latest development

in our campaign against

particularly agriculture

and fisheries products

as we

finalize our own

committee report

of the Committee on Agriculture

and Food and Agrarian Reform.

We really hope and I challenge

the Department of Justice

last week.

I

handle their, I'm defending

their budget and will be sponsoring it on the

floor and I challenge them to

to prove

na walang untouchable

sa smuggler ng

agri and

fisheries

products and I hope

we can make headway

in this regard.

So, I have no

other questions at this time.

We are ready to just

hear the presentation. Welcome again.

Thank you.

Senator Pangilinan, you also have

something in common.

Your wife is the megastar and the wife

of the Executive Secretary is the star

for all seasons.

Anyway, we defer the resolution of

And my wife is a Vilmanian.

I'm also a Sharonian.

Anyway, we defer the

resolution of the motion of our

Senate President.

Let us first allow our Executive

Secretary, Ralph Recto, to give us a

brief manifestation of the 2027

National Expenditure Program

or the proposed expenditure program

of the Office of the President

and the PMS.

Just state for the record, 2027,

the budget and the request for additional

funding, if any.

You have the floor, our Executive

Secretary.

Thank you very much,

Mr. Chairman, Senator

JV Ejercito, to

our Senate President, Senator

Win Gatchalian,

Honorable Senator Joel Villanueva,

Honorable Senator Francis

Kiko Pangilinan.

Magandang hapon po sa inyong lahat.

Your honors, I appear before this distinguished

body to present, explain,

and more importantly, seek your support

for the proposed 2027 budget

of the Office of the President.

I'm here not merely because

our laws require the Executive to

defend its budget before Congress,

which holds the constitutional

power of the purse. I am here

above all in faithful

compliance with the President's standing directive:

honor the Senate,

respect its mandate,

and regard it as a full

partner in advancing the welfare

of our people and protecting

the national interests.

The President firmly believes that

governance is strengthened when the Executive

and legislative branches

work together, not as competing

centers of power, but

as co-equal institutions

united by a common duty

to the Filipino people.

To enable the Office of the President to perform

its constitutional

responsibilities, we respectfully

propose a budget of

10.15 billion pesos

for 2027.

This represents only

0.14 percent

or roughly

one-seventh of one percent

of the proposed 7.2

trillion peso national

budget. It is also

64 percent

lower than the previous

year's level. The substantial

reduction reflects the lower

operational requirements of our

delivery units and the completion

of activities related to

the Philippines' hosting of the

ASEAN Summit, for which no

additional funding will be required

next year. In short,

we are asking for less

while remaining fully prepared

to do more.

We believe this amount is sufficient

for the Presidency to meet the

exacting demands of leading the nation

at a time of overlapping domestic,

and external challenges,

from geopolitical tensions

and disruptions in the Middle East

to typhoons, El Nino,

and other calamities.

This budget will sustain the work of

the Office of the President's 51

delivery units,

the machinery that keeps the highest

office of government delivery for

the Filipino people. It will

support cabinet meetings,

policy consultations,

presidential engagements, and

official travels. And the

daily operations of Malacanang

as the nation's principal center

of decision-making

and executive coordination.

More importantly, it will help

bring timely assistance to

vulnerable families and

enable the government to respond swiftly

in times of emergencies.

Every day, the

President's schedule is full

because the demands of governing

do not pause. But

activity alone is

not our measure of performance.

The real test of every peso

spent is whether it solves

a problem, improves a life,

or strengthens the nation.

That is the standard

we apply to every peso

in this budget proposal.

We ensure that every policy,

meeting, engagement,

and official mission yields a public

dividend, whether through jobs,

investments, stronger

national security,

better public services, or

more opportunities for

our people. Your Honours,

we recognize that public

funds are not the government's money.

They are the people's

money earned through their hard

labor and entrusted to us

in the expectation

that the government will uplift

their lives. That

is why fiscal discipline and accountability

remains central to

the operations of the Office of the

President. For fiscal year

2025, the Commission

on Audit issued the Office of the

President an unmodified

opinion. This is the

highest audit opinion an

agency may receive, and the

OP's third consecutive

unmodified opinion since

2022. This

means that, based on COA's independent

audit, the OP's financial

statements were presented fairly

in all material

respects and in accordance

with applicable public sector

accounting standards.

This is a badge of

good housekeeping. This

is proof that the Filipino

people's money is accounted for

and that their trust

is respected. Rest

assured, we crafted

this proposed budget strictly

within the parameters and processes

established by the DBM.

We sought no special

treatment. We submit

this proposal with full respect

for Congress' constitutional authority

and with readiness to answer

any and all your questions.

Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you very much.

Yes, thank you, our Executive Secretary,

Ralph Recto, and the Office of the President

and the PMS family.

We will continue coordinating

with your office in preparation

for budget plenary debates

and your proposed budget.

We will just submit to you probably the

questions or the concerns, and

please prepare just in case any

of our colleagues might ask

questions during the plenary.

Anyway,

to resolve the motion of our

earlier motion of our Senate President,

and duly

seconded by our Deputy

Majority Leader Senator Joel

Villanueva. Is there an objection?

There being none,

even Senator Pangilinan is here.

Second thing, with that, the budget

of the Office of the President, the

Presidential Management Staff,

is now deemed submitted for the

plenary's consideration.

And, Committee Chair, we'd like

to thank everyone, especially our

esteemed resource persons, our Executive Secretary,

our

Secretary Elaine Masukat,

Executive Secretary, of course,

Ralph Recto, our Senior Deputy

Executive Secretary,

and the

different

Deputy Executive Secretaries and

USECs and Directors.

Anyway, thank you very much for attending

this afternoon's

hearing. So,

with that, Committee Chair, we'd like to thank, again,

with that, the Chair would like to

suspend this hearing. Thank you

very much.

We would like to request our senior officials

for a photo op with

the Chair and the Senators. Thank you.