Malacañang spent around P11.3 million for President Benigno Aquino III’s five-day trip to Vietnam to attend the 17th Association of Southeast Asian Nation (ASEAN) Summit, Executive Secretary Paquito N. Ochoa Jr. announced.
The amount covered the expenses for the 52-man delegation which accompanied the President. That was the second foreign trip since Aquino became President. The expenses included accommodations, transportation, food and the cost of commercial airfares.
"The President is consistently prudent when it comes to his trips. He cut the support staff to minimum and pared down expenses so that taxpayers’ money is wisely spent," Ochoa said.
The President’s trip to the United States last month reinforced the Chief Executive’s views that huge delegations were unnecessary and wasteful, Ochoa added.
"If the first foreign trip taught us anything, it is that it is possible to limit the delegation size to keep costs down and still meet the objectives of the trip," Ochoa explained. "Last month the President brought home US$2.4 billion worth of investments and more than 40,000 new jobs and still achieved those results with a lean staff."
"It’s not about how big the delegation is; what matters is who’s leading them," Ochoa pointed out.
Only five Cabinet officials accompanied the President in Vietnam. They were Finance Sec. Cesar V. Purisima, Trade Secretary Gregory L. Domingo, Foreign Secretary Alberto G. Romulo, Presidential Management Staff Chief Julia R. Abad and Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning head Ramon A. Carandang.
Prior to the gathering of the ASEAN heads of states and governments from October 28 to 30, the President met with Vietnam President Nguyen Minh Triet during the state visit on October 26 and 27. /MP
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