A Senate committee on Tuesday approved the proposed 2025 budget of the Department of National Defense (DND) and the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW).

During a Senate Finance subcommittee’s hearing, Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro, Jr. said they were requesting P254.11 billion for next year’s budget.

Of this amount, P146.661 billion was for personnel services, P79. 265 billion was for maintenance and operating expenses, and P28.189 billion was for capital outlay.

Teodoro also said P75 billion was allocated to the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) modernization program, lower than their original proposal of P245 billion which was meant to support their transition to territorial defense and the comprehensive archipelagic defense concept.

Senate Deputy Majority Leader Joseph Victor Ejercito said the budget cuts of the AFP were unreasonable due to the risky situation in the West Philippine Sea

“For me, if it is a priority program it should be a line item, and because of the precarious situation on the WPS, all the more that we have to prioritize and give importance to the AFP modernization program,” Ejercito said.

Senator Ronald dela Rosa, chairperson of subcommittee C, said the upper chamber would push to increase the budget of the DND.

“It’s a tall order but we will try at least from the Senate’s side to increase the defense spending,” Dela Rosa said.

Dela Rosa asked the DND to submit a wishlist of items that require more funding.

Ejercito made a motion to submit the Defense department’s 2025 budget to the plenary and it was granted.

Meanwhile, in a separate Senate Finance subcommittee hearing, the DMW’s P8.5 billion budget for next year, which is lower than its originally proposed amount of P10.957 billion.

Of this amount, P5.1 billion will be allocated to the Office of the Secretary while P3.4 billion will go to the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA).

“The budget will sustain our efforts in strengthening protection of migrant workers’ rights, promoting their welfare, and enhancing their capacities for economic self-reliance and quality of life for their families,” DMW Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac said. Jaspearl Tan/DMS