House approves PHP2.281B PCO budget for 2025

The House of Representatives swiftly concluded deliberations on Friday, approving a PHP2.281-billion budget proposal for the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) for 2025 with no objections.

AKO BICOL Party-list Rep. Raul Angelo Bongalon emphasized the PCO's crucial role in disseminating government messages to the public and cited Executive Order 16 of 2023 as the legal basis for its mandate.

APEC Party-list Rep. Sergio Dagooc, who moved to terminate deliberations, noted that the proposed budget is a 24.37 percent decrease from the PHP3.016 billion allocated in 2024 but agreed with Bongalon on the importance of the PCO.

The highest allocation within the proposed budget will go to the PCO-Proper at P713.3 million, followed by P492.3 million for the Bureau of Broadcast Services and P439.6 million for the Philippine Information Agency.

PCO acting secretary Cesar Chavez expressed gratitude to the House for the expeditious approval of the budget, which he said is a vote of confidence in the office's mission.