MANILA, Philippines – Presidential Communications Secretary Martin Andanar said his agency, the Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO), needs additional funds for media coverage of President Rodrigo Duterte’s activities, especially now that Duterte is often out of town.

“Humihingi kami ng supplemental, augmentation. Kasi siyempre iba iyong sistema ngayon. Ang Pangulo natin ay madalas sa probinsya kaya kailangan nating humingi ng augmentation,” said Andanar during a DZRH radio interview on Monday, September 19.

(We are asking for supplemental, augmentation [funds] because of course our system is different now. Our President is often in the province so we need to ask for augmentation.)

Travel expenses of the Presidential Broadcast Staff-Radio-TV-Malacañang (PBS-RTVM) was the main reason behind the increase in Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses (MOOE) in the proposed 2017 budget of the PCOO.  

These additional funds amount to P28.397 million – almost 80% of the total increase (P36.160 million) in the 2017 MOOE allocation compared to that of 2016.

This item was described as “the single biggest contributory factor for the increase in MOOE” and that it represents “travelling expenses (local and foreign) for the media coverage of presidential activities.”

The 2017 budget for MOOE is P564.737 million compared to P528.577 million.

President Rodrigo Duterte regularly flies to Davao City at the end of the week. He often attends events or holds press conferences in the city when he is there, making it necessary for both government and private media to send staff there.

The PCOO is even contemplating forming a formal press pool in Davao City, a counterpart of the Malacañang Press Corps in Manila. 

Andanar previously spoke of his intent to put up government media operations in the city.

Duterte has also devoted a lot of time to visiting military camps all over the country. (READ: Why has Duterte visited 14 military camps in less than a month?)

The total proposed PCOO budget for 2017 is P1.255 billion – 0.78% higher than its 2016 budget of P1.246 billion.  

Presidential Communications Undersecretary Noel Puyat told Rappler that most of the items in the proposed budget were “prepared by the previous administration” and were requested by former Presidential Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. – Rappler.com