Vice President Leni Robredo is happy that the House of Representatives approved the proposed budget of her office for 2021.
Vice Presidential spokesman Barry Gutierrez said they were grateful that the P679.74-million budget of the Office of the Vice President (OVP) was immediately passed during the House plenary session.
“Masaya kami na naging maayos at mabilis ang proseso ng pagtalakay ng budget ng OVP sa Kamara (We are happy the process of the deliberation on the OVP budget was in order and fast),” he said on Wednesday.
Robredo’s office requested a budget of P723.39 million for next year, but the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) only gave them almost P680 million.
This amount is even lower than the OVP’s current allocation of P708 million.
The roughly P44 million difference in its budget was meant for the purchase of six new motor vehicles, and the restoration of their funds for research and development.
Gutierrez said the approval of the OVP budget by Congress was an important step to allow it to continue implementing its projects and programs.
During the House plenary deliberation, lawmakers pushed to increase the 2021 budget of OVP to P1 billion before approving House Bill No. 7727, or the General Appropriations Bill (GAB).
Camarines Sur 3rd district Rep. Gabriel Bordado Jr. said this would ensure the full implementation of the OVP’s anti-poverty initiatives.