Outgoing Vice President Leni Robredo is holding on to the hope that her successor Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte, will continue her programs at the Office of the Vice President (OVP) as transition talks between the two camps progress.
In her radio program over DZXL RMN, the Vice President hoped that the OVP's medical assistance program would continue under the leadership of the outgoing Davao City mayor.
"Sana tuloy tuloy pa din iyon (I hope that would continue)," she said Sunday, June 12.
According to Robredo, during her time, the OVP was able to allocate money to different hospitals outside Metro Manila to help those in need who could not go to her office in Quezon City.
Another program that she wished the Vice President-elect would consider continuing was the "Bayanihan E-Konsulta" program that Robredo started at the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic. The OVP halted the program on May 31 to focus on the transition.
"Sana yung mga nasimulan ay tuloy pa din (I hope they would continue what we started)," Robredo said.
Vice President Robredo said she believes that things are looking positive since the camp of Mayor Duterte is "receptive" based on their transition meetings.
"Nagkaroon na ng several na transition meetings. Okay naman (We've had several transition meetings already. It's okay, so far)," she said.
"Receptive naman 'yung team na papasok. Tingin ko naman, to a large extent itutuloy pa din (The incoming team seemed receptive. I believe they would continue our programs, to a large extent)," she added.
Robredo, however, is not sure about the programs that were not institutionalized.
"Yung mas kwestyon lang 'yung mga programang hindi institutional, kasi marami kaming inumpisahan na programa na hindi talaga siya bahagi ng OVP (The question is about the programs that were not institutional. We started many programs that were really not under the OVP)," she said.
The outgoing Vice President cited the Angat Buhay program as an example, a program that she would launch as a non-government organization (NGO) on July 1.
According to Robredo, many OVP people working at the Angat Buhay program expressed a desire to join her in the NGO.
"Maraming mga staff ngayon sa Angat Buhay ang lilipat doon sa NGO. So pareho pa rin ‘yung mga tao—pareho pa rin ‘yung mga taong involved (Many of our Angat Buhay staff will join the NGO. So it's the same people involved)," she said.
"Pero siyempre, mas kaunti kasi siyempre, kaunti lang naman ‘yung kaya naming i-maintain. Pero sa atin, mas mahirap, mas nagiging mahusay tayo (But there will be fewer of us this time because that's all we can maintain. But for me, the more challenging it is, the more we excel)," she added.