House terminates plenary debates on OVP budget for 2025

MANILA: The House of Representatives on Wednesday terminated its deliberation on the proposed budget of the Office of the Vice President (OVP) for 2025. Lanao del Sur Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong, budget sponsor, said there was no representative from the OVP to assist him in defending the budget proposal, highlighting that such absence is "unprecedented." "This is the first time that this ever happened that the head of agency nor any representative from the agency attended pre-budget deliberation up to the last stretch of the budget cycle, which is today," Adiong said. The plenary deliberation had been repeatedly deferred since Monday due to Vice President Sara Duterte's and her representatives' failure to appear at the scheduled budget hearings. Adiong highlighted that the House Committee on Appropriations' recommendation to reduce the OVP's requested budget from PHP2.037 billion to PHP733 million still ensures that the office could function adequately, while avoiding duplicating services already provided by o ther agencies. "The position of the Committee on Appropriations is to submit to the plenary a recommended amount, which basically respects and upholds the integrity of the Office of the Vice President," he said. He added that this ensures the OVP operates within a "satisfactory budget" without overlapping with such agencies as the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) or Department of Health (DOH). The committee transferred PHP1.293 billion of the OVP's budget for social services to two key social protection programs - the DSWD's Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation and the DOH's Medical Assistance to Indigent and Financially Incapacitated Patients. Source: Philippines News Agency