Manila, Sept. 6 -- The Office of the President (OP) will continue to perform its core functions despite a proposed 64-percent cut in its 2027 budget, Executive Secretary Ralph Recto said Sunday.

The OP is seeking PHP10.15 billion for next year, down from the PHP28.03 billion appropriated for 2026.

Recto said the lower funding reflects the streamlining of the OP's 49 delivery units and the completion of activities related to the Philippines' hosting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit this year.

"We are asking for less while remaining fully prepared to do more," Recto said in a news release.

The proposed budget is equivalent to only one-seventh of 1 percent of the proposed PHP7.2 trillion national budget, but ...