The Senate Committee on Finance has approved the proposed ₱27.3 billion budget of the Office of the President (OP) for 2026, along with the ₱882.5 million budget of the Presidential Management Staff (PMS).
The hearing was presided over by Senator Win Gatchalian, chair of the Finance Committee, and attended by Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin on behalf of the OP and Secretary Elaine Masukat for the PMS.
Bersamin said his presence reflected the Marcos administration’s readiness to work with Congress.
“Our presence here manifests the President’s commitment to work closely with the Senate in upholding our mutual objective of promoting the welfare of our people and the country’s national interests,” he said.
He added, “The Office of the President will fully cooperate with Congress in its exercise of the Constitutional mandate as the ‘keeper of the purse.’”
Masukat explained that the PMS budget represented a slight 1.14 percent increase from 2025. The allocation, she said, will fund the preparation of presidential briefers and decision inputs, monitoring of directives and priorities, facilitation of public concerns, management of presidential engagements, and support for the Cabinet secretariat.
Both budgets were swiftly approved, with some senators even pushing for a higher allocation for the Office of the President in preparation for the ASEAN Summit next year, which the Philippines will host.