The Office of the President has requested an extra P5.2 billion from Congress to support the Philippines’ hosting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) Summit in 2026.
Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin revealed this during a press briefing after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. signed the 2025 General Appropriations Act on Monday.
Bersamin explained in an Inquirer.net report that the request was made following the submission of the National Expenditure Program (NEP). He added that additional, larger funding requests will be included in the 2026 NEP submission.
Myanmar was originally slated to host the 2026 summit but backed out due to a civil war, prompting concerns over security for visiting heads of state.
Meanwhile, the 2025 national budget has been finalized at P6.326 trillion, down from the original P6.352 trillion after the President vetoed P194 billion in line items. The education sector received the largest share at P1.055 trillion, followed by the Department of Public Works and Highways with P1.007 trillion.
