Manila, Aug. 28 -- A lawmaker in Northern Samar is pushing for higher allocation for the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) to capacitate the agency to focus on programs that support strategic investments and international trade promotion.

During the House Committee on Appropriations budget deliberations on Aug. 27, Northern Samar 2nd district Rep. Edwin Ongchuan, vice chairman for the Committee on Appropriations, acknowledged the efforts of the DTI-Board of Investments (BOI) through the One-Stop-Action-Center for Strategic Investments (OSAC-SI), which plays a key role in facilitating Green Lane projects and easing the entry of major investments.

"The program remains underfunded, with only around PHP5 million in allocation and staff...