Although thankful for the Office of the Vice President’s (OVP) private and public partners, Vice President Sara Duterte on Monday, June 5, underscored the need to “do more” in protecting children’s welfare, alleviating Filipinos from poverty, and working toward a sustainable future. Vice President Sara Duterte delivers her speech during the “Pasidungog” 2023 on Monday, June 5. (OVP photo) During the One Year Report and “Pasidungog” 2023 at the Sofitel Philippine Plaza Manila in Pasay City, the official put the spotlight on the “gains” by the OVP but also acknowledged the challenges of attaining sustainable and inclusive development. “We have started good. But for us, good is not good enough. We want excellence,” she said less than a year since she took office. “We have barely scratched the surface. We can still do more,” she added. But the “only way” for this to happen, Duterte stated, is to “remain faithful to the call to serve the interest of our people” and deepen the commitment to serve. While it “would have been daunting for us (OVP) had it not been” for the support of their private partners, the Vice President still called for “unity” in fulfilling the programs and promises of her office. “And so, now more than ever, I call on you our partners to hold on to our shared dreams as a nation. For it was our shared dreams and our shared desire to serve — fortified by our unity — that breathed life into our programs,” she said. The official stressed the importance of “investing” in social change, children’s welfare, and  fundamental rights. A total of 438 local and private sectors, government agencies, and key persons were awarded for their invaluable contribution to the successful implementation of OVP programs. The Pasidungog event was organized by her office to pay tribute to its partners for the implementation of its projects. Pasidungog is a Visayan term that means to give recognition and honor. “We are here to honor your invaluable contribution to the successful implementation of OVP programs — which all redound to the greater welfare of our people,” Duterte said in her speech. The OVP, she added, had been “making strides” in its commitment to serve the Filipinos. “It would have been daunting for us had it not been for your support. Dahil sa tulong ninyo, dahil po sa inyo, naging mas madali para sa amin (Because of your help, because of you, it had become easier for us),” the Vice President said. Duterte shared in her 28-minute speech the progress of the OVP’s programs—medical and burial assistance, satellite and extension offices, Kalusugan Food Trucks, PagbaBAGo, Mag-Negosyo Ta ‘Day, and Libreng Sakay, among others. Meanwhile, she also thanked the Marcos administration for supporting the OVP’s Medical Assistance Program and Burial Assistance Program. “To the honorable members of Congress, who believed in our genuine desire to serve the people — maraming salamat po. Hindi po nasasayang ang budget na binigay ninyo sa OVP. Naibabalik namin ito sa mga Pilipino sa pamamagitan ng aming mga programa (thank you very much. The budget you have given to OVP is not going to waste. We are able to give it back to Filipinos through our programs),” Duterte said. According to the Vice President, a total of 22,970 Filipinos—amounting to P236,018,374—have already been served by the OVP’s medical assistance program from June last year to April this year. A total of 6,175 families have also been served by the OVP for its burial assistance program, amounting to P30,875,000, to provide relief to families without the financial capacity to bury their dead loved ones.