By Jelly F. Musico
MANILA, Oct. 8 (PNA) – The Senate finance committee on Thursday submitted for plenary consideration the proposed 2016 budget of the Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) and its six attached agencies.
During the Senate panel deliberations, PCOO Secretary Herminio Coloma said PCOO’s proposed PHP1.130 billion budget is 2.15 percent or PHP24.9 million lower compared to the current year’s budget.
Coloma explained the bulk of the reduction was due to 85.75 percent decrease in the personal services of the National Printing Office (NPO).
”The NPO is given a PHP19.069 million allocation for personnel services equivalent to one month personnel requirements pursuant to its corresponding special provisions in the 2016 national expenditure program,” Coloma said.
Among PCOO’s six attached agencies, Philippine Information Agency (PIA) has the highest proposed budget of PHP318.2 million or PHP46.96 higher compared to 2015 followed by the Bureau of Broadcast Services (BBS) with PHP286.2 million and PCOO proper with PHP214.4 million.
Presidential Broadcast Staff (RTVM) has the next higher budget of PHP141.1 million, News and Information Bureau (NIB) with PHP114.987 million; Bureau of Communications Services (BCS) with PHP36.96 million and NPO with PHP19.6 million.
The PCOO has also proposed a PHP44.097 million budget for capital outlay, with PIA getting the highest allocation of PHP31.8 million followed by PCOO proper with PHP7.3 million; NIB with PHP2.38 million; BBS with PHP1.124 million; BCS with PHP875,000; and RTVM with PHP593,000. (PNA)