DENR chief spent P3M, not P1B for foreign travel

Environment Secretary Ma. Antonia Yulo-Loyzaga spent only P3 million for her foreign trips and not more than P1 billion as alleged by Sen. Raffy Tulfo, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) clarified. Tulfo raised the frequent foreign trips, particularly by the office of Loyzaga, during the plenary deliberations on the DENR’s 2024 budget last month, saying she incurred P1.1 billion for 2023 alone for her foreign trips. The DENR’s budget sponsor, Sen. Cynthia Villar, explained that the cost of foreign trips was not spent by Loyzaga alone, but also by four staff bureaus of the DENR. Analiza Rebuelta-Teh, the DENR’s undersecretary for finance, said the Office of the Secretary has P1.107 billion as travel fund for “all local and foreign travel” of offices under the DENR. Teh added that as of Nov. 23, the total travel expenditure of the DENR Central Office was at P45.169 million and of the said amount, P3.048 million were spent by Loyzaga’s office for “official missions.” —Dempsey Reyes