Batangas Representative Leandro Leviste has urged President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to reduce the proposed ₱22-billion budget for the Philippines’ hosting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Summit and related meetings this year to ₱10 billion.
In House Resolution 911, Leviste said the potential ₱12-billion savings could be redirected to programs that would help ease the burden of Filipinos grappling with soaring fuel prices.
He noted that during the country’s 2017 ASEAN hosting, only about ₱8.5 billion of the ₱16.74-billion budget was utilized, suggesting that a more cost-efficient approach is feasible.
The lawmaker clarified that the proposal does not seek to cancel the summit, emphasizing its importance in diplomacy, tourism, trade, investment, and energy security, but instead calls for more prudent spending.
Fuel prices have breached ₱100 per liter this week and are expected to rise further due to ongoing tensions in the Middle East, including the US-Israel offensive against Iran known as Operation Epic Fury.
The conflict has disrupted oil supply routes, particularly in regions where the Philippines sources about 98% of its crude oil.
Amid the crisis, President Marcos recently declared a national energy emergency and signed a law allowing the temporary suspension or reduction of excise taxes on fuel for up to three months.
The government has also started distributing cash assistance to the public transport sector, which has been heavily affected by the spike in fuel prices.
