By Raymund Antonio Vice presidents are often tagged as a “spare tire” to the presidency, but Vice President Leni Robredo will not settle with such a mindset of doing nothing in her term of office. Vice President Leni Robredo (OVP / MANILA BULLETIN FILE PHOTO) Speaking at the ANCOP USA Charity Ball held in Maryland, United States, Robredo said a vice president should be on the job and use the office not only for ceremonial functions. “The Office of the Vice President, as many of you know, is small. We are limited not only by our mandate as stated in the Philippine Constitution but more so by our resources,” she said. “Nevertheless, I told my staff, we cannot sit idly by performing ceremonial functions as nothing but a ‘spare tire.’ Six years is too long to do nothing relevant,” Robredo added. In her remarks, Robredo cited how much her office has done for those in the fringes of society through her flagship Angat Buhay program. Since the launch of Angat Buhay in October 2016, it has been evident that the Office of the Vice President has shifted from its ceremonial role to a more advocacy-driven office. The OVP has collaborated with the private sector and other stakeholders to help Filipinos in the marginalized sector, with 405,000 individuals so far benefitting from the program. According to Robredo, Angat Buhay currently has 347 partner organizations and individuals, which mobilized P351 million worth of assistance for 211 cities and municipalities nationwide. “Right from the beginning, trust became our most powerful ally. We evolved into a clearinghouse of programs that aims to attack poverty in its most crippling form, because those who needed help were looking for empowerment, not just aid. And those who approached us with resources were looking for partners, not just beneficiaries,” she said. The Vice President said the budget for the anti-poverty program was just “a drop in the bucket” compared to those of private corporations, aid groups, and the administration. “But no one can put a price on the transformation and empowerment that is happening in these communities. They are truly priceless,” the former lawmaker said. Robredo thanked ANCOP, one of Angat Buhay partners, for providing assistance to people in need such as nebulizers, hip seats, x-ray machine, medicines, medical supplies, and equipment. “Indeed, no help is too small. With every help you have given, people’s eyes light up and their smiles beam with happiness and gratitude,” she said.