OVP budget cut will spark job losses

Vice President Sara Duterte stressed that her office will make the most of the budget allocated by Congress, expressing concern that the budget cut will affect approximately 200 contract of service employees in the OVP’s satellite offices.

Duterte was physically present in the Senate plenary during the deliberations on the OVP’s 2025 budget on Wednesday afternoon.

“I have no expectations regarding the budget. Whatever Congress, both the Senate and the House of Representatives, decides will be followed,” Duterte told Senate reporters.

“They have the power of the purse, so we will simply follow. Whatever budget is allocated to us, we will do our best to utilize it effectively,” she added.

To recall, the Senate approved the OVP’s P733 million budget for 2025 in less than 10 minutes, without any questions raised.

The Senate Committee on Finance had previously adopted the House of Representatives’ decision to reduce the OVP’s budget to P733 million. The OVP had originally proposed a P2.037 billion budget in the National Expenditure Program.

Duterte said that while the Senate leadership did not make any promises regarding a budget increase, the matter would be discussed, adding that the budget cut would force the OVP to close some of its satellite offices.

Meantime, Senator Christopher “Bong” Go urged his fellow senators to consider increasing the OVP’s budget, warning that the budget cut would negatively impact the agency’s ability to deliver basic services.