THE Office of the President’s expenses on foreign trips surged 1,453 percent to P392.307 million in 2022 compared to P25.255 million in 2021.
The 2022 report on the OP released by the Commission on Audit last August 15 clarified that the figure covered attendant costs of travel, including transportation, travel per-diem, and passport and visa processing fees.
As mobility restrictions imposed due to the COVID-19 pandemic eased up, Malacañang Palace officials accepted invitations and sent delegations to various events overseas.
“Significant increase of P367,052,245.96 is due to the official travels relative to the foreign summits and state visits attended by the President during the year in Singapore, Indonesia, United States of America, Cambodia, Thailand, and Belgium,” the audit team said.
On the other hand, expenses on local travel dropped slightly from P11.54 million in 2021 to P10.78 million last year.
A comparison with the pre-pandemic breakdown of expenses of the OP showed that under President Duterte, foreign travel in 2019 was at P383.52 million.
When the global health crisis hit the following year, spending on foreign trips dropped to P12.92 million for the whole of 2020 and P25.255 million in 2021.
Overall, the OP’s maintenance and other operating expenses (MOOE) during the year ballooned to P21.946 billion compared to P13.618 billion the year before.
The biggest increase among expenditure items was recorded under “donations,” which showed a 100.65 percent increase year on year from P7.869 billion to P15.789 billion.
The COA defines donations as cash releases for financial assistance drawn from the President’s Socio-Civic Projects Fund.
There was no breakdown in the audit report showing where the cash releases went.
PCO STATEMENT
“With the opening of the economy and lifting of restrictions in 2022, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has begun going around the country to ensure that various programs, projects and assistance of the government reach its intended beneficiaries as part of the post-Covid recovery efforts,” a statement from the Presidential Communications Office said.
It added the President also traveled locally to directly connect with local governments, local communities and sectoral groups, which is an “integral part of the President’s decision-making process.”
The PCO said the President also received a “huge volume of invitations for international events, conferences, high-level meetings, and state visits, among others,” and the OP has acceded to some of these requests with the belief that it would be beneficial for the country if the President attended the international events.
“We reiterate that the Administration, guided by its eight-point socioeconomic agenda, avails of opportunities to generate more foreign investments in our post-pandemic recovery initiatives. At the same time, we also hope to elevate our position in the international community through stronger bilateral ties and improved relations with multilateral or international organizations,” it added.
In 2022, the President traveled abroad six times in an official capacity, which included a state visit to Indonesia from September 4-6; a state visit to Singapore from September 6-7; and his attendance at the United Nations General Assembly from September 19 to 24.
Marcos, who assumed the presidency in 2022, also attended the Association of Southeast Asian Summit in Cambodia from November 10-13; the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) in Thailand from November 16-19; and the Asean-European Union Commemorative Summit in Belgium from December 11-14.
He made a personal trip to Singapore on October 4 last year to attend the F1 Grand Prix.
For 2023, Marcos has already traveled abroad seven times, which included a state visit to China (January 3 to 5); attendance at the World Economic Forum (January 15-21); official visits to Japan (February 8 to 12) and the United States (May 1 to 4); attendance during the coronation of King Charles III (May 5) in the United Kingdom, and the Asean Summit in Indonesia (May 9 to 11); and the state visit to Malaysia (July 25 to 27).
He is also expected to attend the Asean Summit in Indonesia in September and the APEC Summit in November. — With Jocelyn Montemayor
