How, Nosy Tarsee asks, can the Department of Tourism (DoT) possibly sell the Philippines to the world with a shoestring budget of just P100 million? That’s the figure the agency is left with to promote the country — a far cry from what’s needed to even keep pace with its neighbors.

According to the DoT’s 2025 proposed budget under the National Expenditure Program, the agency would require at least P1.2 billion to compete regionally in attracting visitors. But by the time the proposal went through Congress, the numbers took a nosedive — first trimmed to P1 billion, then to P200 million when the budget reached the House.

And when the bicameral conference committee finished its final round of slicing and dicing, there was only P100 million left.

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. then stepped in, instructing the Department of Budget and Management to restore P400 million for the DoT’s branding campaign “to sustain the country’s growing global presence.”

Still, the agency quietly lamented that while its budget shrank, the expectations remain sky-high.

Observers can’t help but note the irony: Congress can find billions for a legislator’s pet project, but not for tourism, an industry that could yield far greater returns given the country’s unmatched natural and cultural assets.