Politics · Philippines Bureau
Lawmakers seek full budget restoration for PCO, attached agencies
Philippine legislators are pushing the House appropriations committee to reinstate the original 2027 budget allocation for the Presidential Communications Office and its attached agencies, citing their critical role in combating misinformation.
LSN Philippines ·
MANILA — Several members of Congress have appealed to the House of Representatives' committee on appropriations to restore the full budget request submitted by the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) and its attached agencies for the 2027 fiscal year.
Lanao del Sur Representative Zia Alonto and other lawmakers argued during a committee hearing on the PCO budget that adequate funding for the communications sector is essential to the government's efforts to counter misinformation and disinformation campaigns.
The PCO oversees various attached agencies including the Information and Broadcasting Corporation (IBC), which are tasked with delivering government communications and managing official broadcasting operations. Lawmakers contended that any budget cuts could undermine these agencies' capacity to effectively disseminate accurate information to the public.
The appeal comes as Congress continues deliberations on the national budget for the coming fiscal year. The committee is expected to make recommendations on funding allocations for various government departments and agencies in the coming weeks.