LAOAG CITY — House Majority Leader and Ilocos Norte 1st District Representative Sandro Marcos has defended the proposed ₱4.5-billion budget for his district, stating he would rather face criticism than allow funding for the province to be reduced.
Speaking in Laoag City on Friday, November 13, the lawmaker explained that he refused to compromise on the budget, citing directives from his father, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., to compensate for years of alleged neglect and small population-based allocation disparities.
“Medyo pinag-iinitan ako sa national news ngayon dahil sinasabi nila, masyadong malaki raw ang budget ng Ilocos Norte. Eh ako naman, hindi ako papayag na bawasan ang budget ng Ilocos Norte dahil ‘yan po ang utos ni Pangulo sa akin,” he said.
“Kahit pinag-iinitan nila ako, okay lang. Titiisin ko na lang dahil alam ko, napaka-importante talaga ng pinaglalaban namin at napaka-importante talaga ang pondo na hinihingi namin sa national government para mas lalo pang umunlad ang ating minamahal na probinsya,” he added.
According to Rep. Marcos, the province received little attention in past national government allocations due to its relatively small population. He noted that the administration is working to reverse this trend.
“Ilang taon na na hindi binibigyang pansin ang ating probinsya. Ngayon lang dahil taga-dito ang ating minamahal na Pangulo, si Apo BBM, at ang sabi niya dapat bumawi tayo,” he stated.
While the proposed ₱4.5-billion allocation for the first district—part of the broader ₱7.2-trillion 2027 national budget currently moving through Congress—has drawn public scrutiny for being excessive, Rep. Marcos argued that the figure is only a fraction of what is truly required.
“P4.5 billion para sa first district, masyadong malaki raw. Sa totoo lang, kung alam n’yo lang, maliit na porsyento ng totoong numero na kailangan ng probinsya para sa 2027 para makumpleto lahat ng proyekto,” he said.
He insisted that the budget had been balanced with the needs of other provinces in mind, pointing to external pressures like the El Niño phenomenon and Middle East conflicts affecting local commodity prices.
“Kung talagang garapal talaga ako, mas lalo ko pang nilaki. Pero dahil marami naman talagang kailangan ang ibang probinsya din ay binalanse natin ng konti,” he noted.
Rep. Marcos vowed to prioritize sufficient provincial funding and continued constituent assistance throughout his tenure.