The Office of the Vice President (OVP) said Friday it is ready to defend its proposed budget of P2.3 billion during the upcoming hearing at the majority-led Senate.
This came after the House of Representatives approved on Thursday the billions-worth of budget proposals, which the OVP said would be dedicated to its social services and livelihood programs.
During the term of former Vice President Leni Robredo, the OVP;s budget was around P720 million in 2021, the last full year of her term.
"Inaasahan po natin na magtatanong din ang ating mga Senador ukol sa ilang provisions sa OVP budget pero handa naman po tayo ipaliwanag mabuti ang lahat ng mga ito (We're expecting that our senators will ask about some of the provisions of the OVP budget. But we're ready to give them explanations)," Reynold Munsayac, spokesman of Vice President Sara Duterte, said in a statement.
According to the OVP, the current line up of its programs under Projects, Programs and Activities (PPAs) are expected to expand as additional projects will roll out soon.
The new programs will include the Magnegosyo Ta 'Day (MTD)—a livelihood program implemented by Duterte when she was still a Davao City mayor to primarily cater to women.
During a House hearing, which eventually approved the OVP's budget proposal, Davao de Oro First District Representative Maricar Zamora believed OVP's projected expenditure will fund initiatives "that will cascade to the people in the regional and the provincial level."
Zamora said OVP's satellite offices, which were built upon Duterte's assumption of the post, were also strategically situated across the country and would help boost Duterte's thrust to bring the government's support closer to the people.
Munsayac expressed his gratitude on behalf of the OVP to lawmakers who participated in the hearing.