Photo Release

Defending the Transportation budget: Sen. Grace Poe, Finance Committee vice chairperson, defends the proposed P120.6 billion budget of the Department of Transportation (DOTr) and its attached agencies for fiscal year 2022. During the hybrid plenary session Monday, November 22, 2021, Poe said the Senate version of the agency’s budget is P1.5 billion lower than the House of Representatives’ general appropriations bill and more than P33 billion lower than the proposal under the National Expenditure Program. The DOTr’s budget covers the following: Office of the Secretary, P92.7 billion; Civil Aeronautics Board, P216.2 million; Maritime Industry Authority, P909.2 million; Office of Transportation Cooperatives, P33.1 million; Office of Transportation Security, P312.8 million; Philippine Coast Guard, P21.1 billion; Toll Regulatory Board, P34 million; Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines, P2.4 billion; Light Rail Transit Authority, P1 billion; and Philippine National Railways, P1.2 billion. Poe added the budget will fund the various priority infrastructure projects such as six rail projects, 18 airports, 46 ports and eight road projects. (Bibo Nueva España/Senate PRIB)