OVP says 1.5M beneficiaries get aid through satellite, extension offices

BREAK WITH TRADITION The proposed 2025 budget for the Office of the Vice President has yet to hurdle committee-level discussions at the House of Representatives, which has tradi- tionally passed the Vice President’s budget with no fuss. —HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

MANILA, Philippines — Over 1.5 million, or 67 percent, of the beneficiaries under the Office of the Vice President (OVP) received assistance through its satellite and extension offices nationwide, according to the agency.

In a statement on Sunday, the OVP claimed that a total of 2,027,164 individuals or beneficiaries received assistance through its medical, burial, and relief programs as of August 31.

READ: Solons slam OVP’s expensive cost for rent, lease of its offices

Of the total, OVP’s data claimed that 22,029 individuals benefited from its burial assistance, while 96,771 received medical assistance as of August 2024.

However, the office did not provide the breakdown or number of beneficiaries for its other initiatives.

The OVP proposed a P2.037 billion budget for 2025, which it said “aims to serve 1.4 million Filipinos” nationwide.

Under Vice President Sara Duterte, the agency has a total of 10 satellite offices and two extension offices across the country.

The OVP said these offices “aim to bring closer its assistance to indigent, marginalized, and underserved communities since the areas identified were based on accessibility, volume of traffic, mode of transportation, presence of hospitals, and high people traffic.”

Last September 12, the House committee on appropriations recommended reducing the proposed budget of OVP for 2025 to only P733.198 million.

Panel senior vice chairperson and Marikina Rep. Stella Quimbo said the OVP budget was cut by P1.29 billion, affecting the social service programs of Vice President Sara Duterte’s office, and that lawmakers intend to realign that money to other government agencies like the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and the Department of Health (DOH).

The slashed fund would be allocated to DSWD Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation and the DOH Medical Assistance to Indigent and Financially Incapacitated Patients programs.

Quimbo also revealed that the panel recommended cutting the OVP budget for rent and lease expenses for its offices across the country, which were found to be costing the government P4.4 million a month.

Based on the lawmaker’s report, the allocation for the OVP’s lease or rental was reduced from P80.73 million to P30.43 million.

During the OVP’s budget hearing last September 10, it was revealed that P53 million of its total budget in 2023 was spent to pay the rent or lease of its satellite and extension offices for the whole year.

This drew comparison to the office’s annual rental rate during the time of former Vice President Leni Robredo, which is only about P4.1 million, slightly lower than the monthly rental rate by the current office — P4.4 million.

1-Rider Partylist Rep. Rodge Gutierrez also disclosed that OVP spent P29 million for the same purpose in 2022 based on an audit report.

In the same hearing, Duterte did not show up and sent an explanation letter instead to Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez and Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Elizaldy Co.

No officials from her office likewise appeared during the budget hearing.

READ: Sara blasted for diverting issue: Tatak Duterte ang pambubudol – Co

Earlier, Duterte brushed off being called a brat, saying that such labels against her were part of attacks from political opponents and critics.

Duterte also maintained that she responded to every question thrown at her regarding her office’s 2025 budget proposal, but that lawmakers simply did not like her replies.