No budget hike appeal from OVP so Senate keeps P733-M allocation

Sen. Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito during one of the hearings of the Senate finance panel in September 2024. Senate Public Relations and Information Bureau

MANILA, Philippines – The Senate opted to retain the P733-million budget of the Office of the Vice President (OVP) for 2025, according to Sen. JV Ejercito, because the agency simply did not appeal for a budget hike.

Speaking to reporters in a press conference on Wednesday, Ejercito was asked whether or not it was the OVP’s lapse that led to the non-increase of their budget.

Ejercito answered in the affirmative.

“That’s what I know because I didn’ handle it. It was handled by Sen. Grace Poe. But according to her, she had requested, just like we do — as vice chairs, we request for a wishlist from the agencies that we handle. Apparently, they did not send additional request. That became the basis,” Ejercito told reporters in a mix of Filipino and English.

Poe, being the chairperson of the chamber’s panel on finance, earlier disclosed that the OVP budget was retained by the Senate at the General Appropriations Bill level or P733 million.

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 this fund to other government agencies like the Department of Social Welfare and Development and the Department of Health.

READ: OVP budget cut from P2 billion to P733 million by House panel

Meanwhile, Ejercito, when pressed to disclose how the senators settled with the amount of OVP’s 2025 funding, said they debated on it thoroughly.

“There was a discussion, but I think Sen. Grace justified it enough. She was able to show the particulars and ensure that the items will not be depleted, especially for social services,” he said in Filipino.