House to fund WPS efforts amid intel budget cut: Measure isn’t cast in stone

This handout photo taken on December 2, 2023 and released on December 3 by the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) shows an aerial view of Chinese vessels gathered by Whitsun Reef, around 320 kilometers (200 miles) west of Palawan Island, in disputed waters of the South China Sea. The Philippines said December 3 more than 135 Chinese vessels were “swarming” a reef off its coast, describing the boats’ growing presence as “alarming.” (Photo by Handout / Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) / AFP)

MANILA, Philippines — Protecting the West Philippine Sea (WPS) and other territories of the country will be supported in the 2025 national budget.

This commitment was voiced by some members of the House of Representatives despite a lower confidential and intelligence fund (CIF) allocation for the security sector.

In a press briefing on Tuesday, House Majority Floor Leader Manuel Jose Dalipe said they will take guidance from President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s policy on territorial integrity.

He noted that budgetary needs of agencies securing the country’s waters like the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) will be funded.

“The policy is always being set by the President and we take guidance from his Sona (State of the Nation Address), and everyone in the House knows how the President gives importance on defending our national territory and integrity,” Dalipe said.

The lawmaker was responding to the question about security allocations in the P6.3 trillion proposed budget for 2025.

“So, we in the House of Representatives take cue from the pronouncement of President Bongbong Marcos and no doubt, I think each member of the majority bloc would be in full support of the President in giving more support to the Philippines Coast Guard and all other agencies that would help protect, especially our fisherfolk in the West Philippine Sea,” he added.

Senior Deputy Speaker Aurelio Gonzales Jr. said House members led by Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez have been adamant that funding for PCG and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) will be increased.

“In addition, we were in Masinloc, I think, two months ago, one of our topics and discussions is to increase the budget of the Philippine Coast Guard and the BFAR as far as the fisherfolks are concerned,” Gonzales recalled.

“That was what we talked about. I think, in our budget deliberations, we will tackle that issue and I understand na Congressman [Jay] Khonghun was the one who asked that and (raised) the issue of his kababayan in Zambales and, of course, the West Philippine Sea,” he added.

In the deliberations for the 2024 budget, some of the confidential funds of civilian agencies were reallocated by the House to the PCG to support its mandate of securing the country’s waters.

However, under the 2025 National Expenditures Program (NEP), the Department of Transportation — PCG’s mother agency — would just get the same P400 million intelligence fund as it did in 2024.

READ: PCG to use add’l confidential funds to boost West Philippine Sea protection

READ: How House removed, reduced the confidential funds of gov’t agencies

Aside from PCG, the intelligence fund allocation of the Department of National Defense — another agency crucial in securing the country’s territories — decreased from P2.8 billion in 2024 to P1.7 billion in 2025.

As a whole, Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman said on Monday, after turning over the NEP to the House, that proposed CIF allocations for 2025 went down by 16 percent.

This meant that from P12.3 billion in the actual 2024 budget, the amount decreased to P10.2 billion the 2025 proposed allocations.

READ: DBM: Confidential, intel funds for 2025 down 16% 

When asked about how the House would respond to this, Dalipe said they can still make alterations to the proposed budget.

“First, we will ask the absorptive capacity utilization rate of the department or national agency concerned,” he said.

“How were they able to utilize the fund and why did the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) recommend such changes?” he asked.

“So, it will now be up to the national government agency to defend their proposal and in the event that they want an increase, I think it is incumbent upon the House, the power of the purse to put back again whatever a government agency needs,” Dalipe said.

“So, it’s not done. The appropriation measure is not cast in stone. It is subject to revisions. It is subject to amendments and even that will not be final […],” the lawmaker explained.

“So, if the proposal of the DBM or the executive budget needs to be adjusted, the House, the leadership of the House, is always attuned with the current times and basing on the speech of the President in the Sona, if things need adjusting […] the House will do such recommendation,” he added.

READ: Solon thanks Marcos for early budget turnover: More time for scrutiny

Gonzales and Dalipe expect the proposed budget to be approved by the House before Congress goes on a break in October, especially since the NEP was transmitted early.

The NEP was submitted to Congress on Monday, or just seven days after Marcos’ Sona.

Under the 1987 Constitution, the budget should be transmitted to Congress within 30 days after a president’s Sona.