THE Senate Finance Subcommittee approved Tuesday the proposed P785.2-million budget of the Office of the Vice President (OVP) for 2027.
Sen. Imee Marcos moved for its approval, seconded by Sen. Bong Go, with no objections raised.
Sen. Joseph Victor Ejercito, chairman of the Committee on Finance, underscored the critical role of the OVP in grassroots development and nation-building.
“As the second-highest executive office of the Philippine government, it shall maintain outstanding delivery of its local programs, dignified international networks, and resilient, sustainable solutions to countrywide challenges,” Ejercito said.
The proposed P785.2-million allocation was reduced by 11.7 percent — approximately P104-million lower — compared to the OVP’s P889.2-million budget for 2026.
Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian noted that the bulk of the allocation was intended for the OVP's social and economic assistance initiatives.
“I saw that their main program is the socioeconomic program that helps our constituents. With that, I saw that the Office of the Vice President is spending their budget as efficiently and as wisely as possible," Gatchalian said.
Vice President Sara Duterte did not attend the briefing and was represented by OVP Chief of Staff Zuleika Lopez.
Lopez said Duterte was in Davao City representing her father, former president Rodrigo Duterte, at the inurnment of their long-serving city planner.
Ejercito said that while the Senate extends parliamentary courtesy, he hopes Duterte will attend the plenary deliberations to defend the OVP's proposed budget.
