The Office of the Vice President (OVP) justified its proposed budget for 2023, which is more than thrice the allocated fund in 2022, saying it is the amount needed to fund its priority projects.

OVP Spokesperson Reynold Munsayac explained on Thursday, Sept. 1, that the bulk of the proposed OVP 2023 budget is intended for essential social services and financial subsidies.

Munsayac said they see nothing wrong with the massive increase on the proposed budget, which is pegged at P2.292 billion, more than thrice the P702-million budget this year.

"May mga nagtatanong bakit lumaki yung budget ng OVP. Masama po kung yung mga projects natin questionable. Ito pong bulk po ng budget ng OVP karamihan po to para sa basic social services at financial subsidy (Some are asking why OVP's budget ballooned to this. It's bad if the projects are questionable. The bulk of the OVP budget is for basic social services at financial subsidy)," Munsayac said in a joint press briefing with the Department of Education (DepEd).

The spokesman further explained that the fund allocated for basic social services and financial subsidies would provide "direct" assistance to those Filipinos in need.

He also noted that the allocation would also fund the seven new OVP satellite offices recently established in various places in the country.

"Ganyan yung laki niya dahil pito na yung ating OVP satellite offices. So ang intensyon po talaga ng OVP, e maging available ho 'tong mga services na 'to at assistance na 'to sa karamihan ng ating mga kababayan lalo na sa malalayong lugar (It is that big because we already have seven OVP satellite offices. So, the intention of the OVP is to make these services and assistance available to more Filipinos, especially those in far-flung areas)," Munsayac said.

'It's what our priority projects need'

The OVP official also addressed comparisons of the previous administration's budget to Vice President Sara Duterte's, saying the current administration only asks for resources needed to support its projects.

"Bawat head of agency, executive man o anong ahensya ang hawak niya, meron po silang priority projects at kami yung ni-request namin na budget, 'yan yung sa tingin namin na kailangan namin para i-implement yung priority projects namin. Siguro nung nakaraang administration, meron silang certain projects at yung budget nila ay sufficient para dun (Every head of agency, be it executive or whatever agency, they have priority projects and the amount we requested was what we think we need to implement our priority projects. Perhaps in the previous administration, they have certain projects and their budget was already sufficient for that)," Munsayac said.

Munsayac assured that the OVP under Duterte would be transparent when it comes to its budget usage.

"Sigurado pong magiging transparent kami sa paggamit ng pondo na 'yan para makikita na ginagamit nang tama at yan ay napupunta sa lahat ng kababayan nating nangangailangan ng tulong (We assure that we will be transparent in using that fund to show that we will use it right and it will reach our fellowmen who are in need of help)," Munsayac said.

He also pointed out that the confidential funds they requested "will be utilized using the parameters set by the DBM (and) the COA in their joint circular," which determines where it must be used.

Duterte's proposed budget for her office is the biggest budget proposal from the OVP since 2017, when the office was under former vice president Leni Robredo, whose biggest budget allocation was at P900 million in 2021.