Marcos gets increased travel funds for 2024

This is a 58% increase from the P893.87 million travel funds requested by the Office of the President in 2023.

Since he took office in June last year, Marcos has undertaken a total of 19 foreign trips. His international travels nearly doubled from last year, despite saying that he will have lesser travels abroad last January.

The United States, Indonesia and Singapore have been the most visited country by the chief executive with three visits each since Marcos assumed office.

In September, it was disclosed that Marcos exceeded the allocated budget for his travel expenses by overspending P84 million in 2022, spending a total of P398 million, higher than the allocated budget of P314 million as stated in the 2022 GAA.

Presidential Communications Cheloy Velicaria Garafil, previously said that the rise in the proposed budget for the president’s travels in 2024 is intended to enhance the country’s appeal to potential investors.

According to Garafil, the invitations received by the Office of the President from foreign governments and international entities have increased significantly after the World Health Organization declared end to COVID-19 as an international public health emergency in May.

The Department of Trade and Industry said that Marcos’ foreign trips yielded P294 billion worth of investments and 200,000 job opportunities.

Meanwhile, months before the deliberations into the proposed 2024 national budget, Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman defended the increase of Marcos’ travel funds saying that it could be used to promote the country overseas as an “investment hub.”

This has been criticized by opposition lawmakers saying that the president’s trip was “lavish.” They cited Marcos’ trip to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland last January, where the Philippine delegation reached over 70.

“Ang sabi nga natin diyan, very lavish…Napakarami naman ang dinalang tao sa Switzerland considering na napakamahal ng mga hotel at saka cost ng transportation, food, etc.,” Rep. France Castro (ACT-Teachers) said in an interview on CNN Philippines in August.

(We mentioned that it is very lavish… There were several delegates brought to Switzeland considering the hotel rates and the cost of transportation, food, etc are very expensive)

Marcos signed the 2024 national budget amounting to P5.768 trillion on December 20 where he vetoed two budget provisions that are related to the Department of Justice’s proposed revolving fund and the implementation of the government’s career executive service program.

— Ian Laqui with reports from Cristina Chi