Latest news with #P733
GMA Network
15-07-2025
- Business
- GMA Network
OVP reports 85.55% utilization of P2-B budget in 2024
The Office of the Vice President, through the Disaster Operations Center, on Friday, May 31, 2024, distributes 2,000 relief bags to 2,000 verified flooded families from six hard-hit barangays in Lucena City, Quezon following the recent onslaught of Typhoon Aghon. OVP-DOC also deployed the Kalusugan Food Truck and served hot meals to 100 responders. OVP PHOTO The Office of the Vice President (OVP) under the leadership of Vice President Sara Duterte utilized 85.55% of its P2.084-billion budget allocated in fiscal year 2024. In its 2024 accomplishment report, the OVP reported that it used P1.783 billion of its budget as of December 31, 2024. "This utilization rate [of 85.55%] is attributed to the operations and successful implementation of socio-economic services and programs of the OVP," the office said. The OVP also logged a total of 1,780,079 beneficiaries in all its programs in 2024, with the office's free bus ride program having the highest number of beneficiaries at 1,025,275. Aside from the Libreng Sakay program, the OVP also has a PagbaBAGo campaign with 227,958 beneficiaries, medical assistance with 154,565 beneficiaries, and Rice Food Bags with 144,808, among others. Last year, the House of Representatives decided to reduce the 2025 budget of the OVP from the originally proposed P2 billion to P733 million amid Duterte's refusal to answer lawmakers' questions on OVP budget use, including confidential funds. The Senate retained the House-introduced budget cut despite calls from Duterte's allies to restore some of the OVP's proposed funding for social services. Duterte lamented the budget cut, saying that some 200 OVP personnel could lose their jobs and several projects of her office would have to be halted. For fiscal year 2026, OVP spokesperson Ruth Castelo said the proposed budget of the OVP increased by P170 million. Duterte's office initially made a proposal of P733 million for next year, retaining the office's 2025 budget, but the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) increased it to P803.6 million, which further grew to a total of P903 million, upon the request of the OVP. — VDV, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
09-07-2025
- Business
- GMA Network
OVP proposes higher budget in 2026 at P903M
The proposed budget of the Office of the Vice President (OVP) for 2026 has increased by P170 million from the current fiscal year, OVP spokesperson Ruth Castelo said Wednesday. At a press conference, Castelo said the OVP, under the leadership of Vice President Sara Duterte, initially made a proposal of P733 million for next year, retaining the office's 2025 budget. However, Castelo said that the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) increased the proposed budget to P803.6 million, which further grew to a total of P903 million, upon the request of the OVP. 'So nagdagdag sila…ng less than P70 million, mga P60 something million. And then, nung nagdagdag sila ng P60 something million, we requested for additional personnel services,' she said in an ambush interview. (So they added…less than P70 million, about P60 something million. And then, when they added P60 something million, we requested a higher budget for additional personnel services.) 'Siyempre may cost 'yun…na additional employees para mas ma-fulfill yung functions and other IT equipment that are needed for the OVP. Ang binigay na final ng DBM is P903 million,' she added. (Of course there is a cost for additional employees to better fulfill the functions of the office, and other IT equipment that are needed for the OVP. The final budget given by DBM is P903 million.) Castelo also confirmed that the OVP will not be requesting any confidential funds for next year. 'No confidential funds. Hindi naman na tayo nag-request niyan [we didn't request]… If they want to give, they want to give,' she explained. Asked how confident is the OVP that Congress will approve the P903 million budget request for next year, Castelo said, 'We can just hope and pray that they see the need for this budget.' She also affirmed that the OVP staff will be attending the budget hearings, both at the Senate and House of Representatives. — RSJ, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
18-06-2025
- Politics
- GMA Network
House urges VP Sara to respect budget process
House of Representatives spokesperson Princess Abante on Wednesday called on Vice President Sara Duterte to "respect" the budget process, including the congressional authority to scrutinize it. The statement comes after Duterte said on Monday that the Office of the Vice President (OVP) will submit a P733 million budget proposal for fiscal year 2026. 'Magre-request siya sa House of Representatives ng budget. Sana, nare-recognize din niya na kasama sa responsibilidad ng Kamara, 'yung hindi lang yung makapag-request siya, kundi kasama sa responsibilidad ng Kamara, suriin 'yung paggamit ng pondo na nailaan sa Office of the Vice President,' Abante told reporters. (She will request a budget, and she should recognize that the House has the responsibility not only to look at her request but also to scrutinize the budget use of her office.) 'Dapat ma-justify rin ng Office of the Vice President (OVP) yung budget na hinihingi nila. So, we will wait and see kung talagang i-recognize talaga ni Vice President Sara 'yung budget role ng House of Representatives at respetuhin 'yung proseso ng pag-approve ng budget,' Abante added. (The OVP should also be able to justify the amount they are asking for. Let's see if she respects the role of the House here and the budget process.) Likewise, Abante dismissed the Vice President's comments that congressional budget deliberations tend to shame the OVP personnel. 'Wala namang pong pinapahiya ang House of Representatives sa budget process. Kasama sa trabaho ng House to scrutinize the use of public funds. Ang importante lang, sumagot, [sumagot] ng tama,' Abante said. (There is no shaming involved here. It is part of the House's job to look at the proposed budget. What is important here is for them to answer questions and answer them appropriately.) 'This is for the Filipino people, who we are accountable to,' Abante added. During the 2025 budget deliberations, the Vice President initially showed up but refused to answer queries on disbursements of P612.5 million worth of confidential fund granted to OVP in 2022, 2023 and 2024, of which p73 million was issued notice of disallowance by the Commission on Audit. A notice of disallowance means that the expenditure is 'either irregular, unnecessary, excessive, extravagant, or unconscionable." The House later reduced the OVP's proposed 2025 budget by P1.2 billion, a move that also gained support in the Senate. —VAL, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
16-06-2025
- Business
- GMA Network
OVP to seek P733-M budget for 2026 — Sara Duterte
Vice President Sara Duterte said Monday that the Office of the Vice President (OVP) would submit a P733 million budget proposal for fiscal year 2026, which is the same amount approved for her office this year. Duterte said that she is no longer expecting a higher budget allocation for the OVP since she is not allied with the Marcos administration. That is why, she said, she decided to propose the same amount next year, with only a few adjustments considering the inflation. 'Hindi siya kalayuan doon sa approximately P700 million na ibinigay noong nakaraang taon para sa Office of the Vice President. Hindi siya malayo sa 2025 budget,' she said at a press conference. (That is not far from the approximately P700 million given last year to the Office of the Vice President. That is not far from the 2025 budget.) 'Inaasahan ko naman na hindi ibibigay 'yung budget ng [OVP] dahil nga hindi naman kami kaalyado ng administrasyon at nakita na natin 'yun nung nakaraang taon, na syempre kung hindi ka sumusunod, hindi ka kaalyado, ay hindi ka ay hindi ka mabibigyan ng pondo para sa mga programa ng opisina mo,' she added. (I expect that a higher OVP budget will not be given because we are not an ally of the administration and we saw that last year, that if you do not follow them, you are not an ally, then you will not be given funds for the programs of your office.) Duterte also said that she does not want to see members of her office being "embarrassed" by lawmakers both from the House of Representatives and the Senate during the budget deliberations. She also said that she is still unsure whether or not she will attend the deliberations for the proposed 2026 budget of the OVP. Last year, the House decided to reduce the budget of the OVP from the originally proposed P2 billion to P733 million amid Duterte's refusal to answer lawmakers' questions on OVP budget use, including confidential funds. The Senate retained the House-introduced budget cut despite calls from Duterte's allies to restore some of OVP's proposed funding for social services. The Vice President lamented the budget cut, saying that around 200 OVP personnel could lose their jobs and some projects of her office would have to be halted. 'Wala kaming madagdag na project for 2026. Tutuloy pa rin lahat... maliban lang sa PANsarap at medical at burial assistance,' Duterte said. (We will have no additional projects for 2026. Everything will continue... except for PANSarap and medical and burial assistance.) Despite a significant P1.4 billion budget cut under the 2025 General Appropriations Act, Duterte said her office, so far this year, continued to provide service to the people. She said that the OVP's medical assistance program provided aid to 127,984 beneficiaries, while the burial assistance program had 25,495 beneficiaries. Meanwhile, over a million passengers were given free bus rides under the OVP's Libreng Sakay Program. Thousands of students and indigent Filipinos were also given help through other projects of the OVP. 'Naging mas mapaghamon ang pagpapatakbo namin ng mga programa na ang pakay ay pagbibigay ng solusyon sa ilang mga pangunahing suliranin ng mga Pilipino. Ngunit ang mga batikos at sistematikong atake laban sa OVP ay hindi naging sapat para tayo ay humina, huminto, at mabigo,' Duterte said. (It became more challenging for us to run programs that aim to provide solutions to some of the major problems of Filipinos. But the criticisms and systematic attacks against the OVP were not enough to weaken, stop, and fail us.) — RSJ, GMA Integrated News
