Robin Padilla had P150M budget insertion for Film Heritage building — FDCP

The long-delayed Philippine Film Heritage Building in Intramuros, Manila has finally been completed, but the “horrors” that attended its construction before its completion left Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) chair Jose Javier “Joey” Reyes stunned.

During a recent guest appearance on “Fast Talk with Boy Abunda,” Reyes recalled that it was Sen. Robin Padilla himself who proposed to make a P150-million budget insertion in the 2023 General Appropriations Act for the construction of the FDCP’s Film Heritage Building, meant to house the Cinematheque Centre Manila, the Philippine Film Archive and the new headquarters of the FDCP.

A budget insertion refers to a legislative amendment—such as a reduction, addition, or reallocation of funds—introduced by lawmakers to the proposed national budget, or GAA, for the following year. This meant that the FDCP project construction was not in the pipeline until the supposed budget insertion.

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While budget insertions have become common among lawmakers in recent years, they have also become subject to abuse, resulting in the recent controversies like the multibilion peso flood control scandal that rocked the nation since last year.

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Padilla, a neophyte senator, secured the budget for the project, while the construction company of Curlee and Sarah Discaya obtained the contract to implement it. The Discayas are currently detained and facing multiple nonbailable charges, including malversation and graft in connection with the flood control scam, among others.

The amount of P150 million was the figure provided by the original contractor of the building during the time of Reyes’ predecessor, Tirso Cruz III, and which was to include the usual construction amenities and refurbishing.

READ: Flooded vaults, moldy toilets: Not even FDCP’s heritage building is spared

“Originally n’ung ini-estimate siya ng kontratista, then chairman Tirso, ang binigay na presyo P150 million to build that building. Tapos binigyan kami ng pera, ng insertion ni Senator [Robin] Padilla, P150 million,” Reyes said.

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However, when the project was turned over to him, Reyes said he was flabbergasted to see the unfinished building and its state of undone. This prompted the FDCP to scramble for more government funding to finish the project and make it habitable.

“Sabi sa amin, tapos na ang building. Hindi na si Tirso ang chairman, ako na ang chairman. Pagdating ko kalahati pa lang [nagagawa]. Sabi ko, ‘Bakit ganito?’ Sabi nila, yung P150 million, Phase 1 pa lang ’yon, kailangan pa ng another P100 million,” Reyes said.

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“Sabi ko, ‘Diyos ko, saan ako kukuha ng P100 million? Kahit lumuhod ako sa lahat ng senador at congressman, saan ako kukuha ng P100 million?'” he added.

It was then that FDCP sought the help of First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, who in September 2025 inspected the building and called it a “rotten monument of incompetence,” citing leaks, cracks, and unfinished work.

“Nung nabanggit ko ang problema, na realize ko na ang kontratista nyan yung tinalo ni (Pasig Mayor) Vico (Sotto)… Doon medyo pumilantik ang tenga ng First Lady. Nung pumasok si [DPWH Sec.] Vince Dizon, ni-require ng First Lady na tapusin na ang building,” Reyes said, referring to the Discayas.

“Ngayon, natapos na siya, pero dumaan kami sa kalahating butas ng karayom,” the filmmaker further said.

While Reyes has been vocal about the corruption attending the initial stages of the construction of the FDCP heritage building, this is not the first time that he mentioned the name of Padilla as proponent of the project made through a budget insertion.

Reyes first revealed in August 2024 that Padilla secured the ₱150-million funding for the Film Heritage Building, while noting that additional funds would still be needed to complete the project.

The project previously became the subject of controversy after Reyes disclosed in September 2025 that the unfinished building had flooding, mold and other allegedly substandard construction issues.

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Padilla has been criticizing the government in going after his allies in the opposition alleged to have been involved in budget insertions in the flood control scam. Last year, he proposed the “Mahiya Naman Kayo Act” (Senate Bill 1299) to bar lawmakers from intervening in local infrastructure project budgets. /edv