Vice President Sara Duterte — File photo from the House of Representatives
MANILA, Philippines — The bicameral conference committee members for the 2025 national budget have agreed to maintain the P733-million allocation for the Office of the Vice President (OVP).
Originally set at P2.037 billion, the budget was reduced by P1.29 billion.
In an ambush interview after the committee closed its final budget meeting on Wednesday, Senate finance panel chair Sen. Grace Poe said the P733-million OVP budget was retained despite several senators’ requests to increase it.
“Of course, this is a collegial body, and all of us have a wishlist, but in the end, the majority will prevail. I explained to them that the OVP will still have the means to help,” Poe said in Filipino.
“They have a social services allotment of P600 million that they can use. They were not robbed and that’s what I’ve been saying from the start, they are still capacitated,” she added.
According to Poe, the OVP neither requested a budget increase formally or informally.
The House of Representatives on September 12 recommended slashing the proposed OVP budget of P2.037 billion for 2025 to only P733.198 million.
Stella Quimbo, the panel’s senior vice chairperson, said the OVP budget was cut by P1.29 billion, adding that lawmakers intend to realign the fund to other government agencies like the Department of Social Welfare and Development and the Department of Health.
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