VP Sara: Budget cuts won’t stop OVP from serving

Despite a P1.4-billion budget cut in the 2025 General Appropriations Act, Vice President Sara Duterte on Monday said the Office of the Vice President (OVP) has remained committed to providing responsive and impactful public service.

In her keynote speech at the 2025 Pasidungog awarding ceremony held in Davao City, Duterte said the OVP continues to operate and expand programs that address the basic needs of Filipinos — particularly the poor — despite financial limitations and political challenges.

“Sa kabila ng mga limitasyong pinansyal, balakid, at pagsubok, patuloy nating pagtibayin at palawakin ang mga ugnayang ito tungo sa pagbuo ng bayan na may iisang adhikaing makatulong at makapagbigay suporta — lalong-lalo na sa mga kapos at nangangailangan,” she said.

Duterte lamented what she called “systematic attacks” and efforts to weaken the OVP but emphasized that these did not succeed in derailing their mission.

“Naging mas mapaghamon ang pagpapatakbo namin ng mga programa… Ngunit ang mga batikos at sistematikong atake laban sa OVP ay hindi naging sapat para tayo ay humina, huminto, at mabigo,” Duterte said.

“The intention to weaken and frustrate us from serving the Filipinos failed,” she added in a mix of English and Filipino. “Our gathering today is proof that our efforts are successful because of your continued belief in the mission of the OVP.”

The Pasidungog event is the OVP’s annual recognition ceremony honoring public and private sector partners for their contribution to its various socio-civic programs. This year, a total of 1,140 partners were honored.

Duterte expressed gratitude to the awardees for helping the OVP sustain its operations and deliver vital services in areas such as education, health, food assistance, livelihood, and emergency relief.

"To our partners from key government institutions, thank you for working with us to implement programs, deliver services, and respond to the needs of underserved Filipinos," she said.

In the past year, the OVP’s Medical Assistance Program reached more than 127,000 individuals, while its Burial Assistance Program helped over 25,000 families. The Magnegosyo Ta ‘Day Program provided livelihood aid to hundreds of individuals and several organizations. The Libreng Sakay initiative transported more than one million passengers. Kalusugan food trucks served nearly 4,000 meals, while the RIICE program delivered emergency relief to more than 146,000 people.

The PanSarap Project reached 13,000 students with food assistance, while the PagbaBAGo campaign planted over 300,000 trees and distributed nearly 200,000 school bags to learners across the country.

Duterte said these accomplishments were made possible by the unwavering support of over 1,000 government and private sector partners.

“Sa misyong ito ay natutupad natin ang mga proyekto at programang nagbibigay ng ginhawa sa buhay ng mga pamilya, babago sa mga komunidad, huhubog ng mga pangarap, at magpapanday ng magandang kinabukasan,” she said.