The deluge of “systematic attacks” faced by the Office of the Vice President (OVP) over the past year failed to hinder Vice President Sara Duterte’s office from delivering critical social services to Filipinos who continue to face hardships in health, education, hunger, and livelihood.

This was the message of the Vice President during the 2025 Pasidungog awarding ceremony held at the SMX Convention Center in Davao City on Monday, June 16.

She recognized that running the OVP became more challenging in the past year, but also lauded the participation of “1000-strong partners” that helped her office continue to serve Filipinos.

“Ngunit ang mga batikos at sistematikong atake laban sa OVP ay hindi naging sapat para tayo ay humina, huminto, at mabigo (But the criticisms and systematic attacks against the OVP were not enough to weaken, stop, and fail us),” she said.

“The intention to weaken and frustrate us from serving the Filipinos failed,” Duterte stressed.

While she made no mention of the current rift between her and the Marcos administration, the OVP received a measly P733-million budget for 2025 under the General Appropriations Act (GAA).

This came after she resigned from the Marcos Cabinet in June 2024 and went on to attack President Marcos, First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, Speaker Martin Romualdez, and other Duterte allies in separate occasions.

In her speech, Duterte acknowledged the role played by the OVP’s partners in fulfilling her office’s “mission.”

“To our partners from key government institutions, thank you for working with us to implement programs, deliver services, and respond to the needs of underserved Filipinos,” she said.

“The successful roll-out of our programs and projects would not have been possible without the over 1000-strong partners that helped us further advance the well-being of our nation,” she added.

By working together despite the limitations, Duterte said the OVP and its partners—government agencies, private sector, civic organizations—showed the true spirit of overcoming adversities.

“Sa loob ng tatlong taon bilang Vice President, ako ay lubos na nagpapasalamat sa inyong patuloy na pakikipagtulungan para sa pagsasakatuparan ng ating mga mithiin para sa ating bayan (As a Vice President for three years, I wholeheartedly thank you for your help and for working with us to fulfill our dreams for our country),” she furthered.

She called on the OVP’s partners to continue working together for the good of the country even amid the financial limitations and challenges that they face.

“Unahin natin ang bansa kaysa sa pansariling interes. Mangako tayo na ilalaan lamang natin ang ating puso at gawa para sa tunay na ikabubuti ng sambayanan (Let us put our country first than our own interests. Let us promise that we will give our heart and effort for the good of our people),” she said.

Duterte asked them to “love the Philippines” not only because it is the home of every Filipino, but because it is also the “sanctuary of our dreams.”

“Mahalin natin ang Pilipinas dahil tayo ay iisa—magkaiba man ang ating mga pinanggalingan, tayo naman ay may parehong mithiin: kapayapaan, kaunlaran, at katarungan (Let us love the Philippines because we are one—despite the differences in our backgrounds, we have one goal: peace, progress, and justice),” the Vice President added.

Duterte promised that the OVP will continue to be an ally of every Filipino.

“Habang patuloy nating itinataguyod ang isang mas progresibo at mas matatag na bansa, nananatili ang Tanggapan ng Pangalawang Pangulo bilang isang maasahang katuwang at kasangga ng bawat Pilipino (While we continue to work for a more progressive and resilient country, the Office of the Vice President will continue being a reliable partner and ally of every Filipino),” she vowed.

Two of the core social services delivered by the OVP to Filipinos are its Medical Assistance Program and Burial Assistance Program.

According to Duterte, the OVP’s medical assistance program “provided a lifeline and helped ease the burden of overwhelming medical expenses” for over 127,984 Filipinos. It was also able to provide immediate financial help to 25,495 Filipino families under its burial assistance program.

The Vice President also brought to the OVP her very own Magnegosyo Ta 'Day (MTD) Program, which she started in Davao City and has benefited some 463 individuals and nine organizations, reaching a combined >>total of 1,003 individuals with hopes to build their own businesses.

Through its “Libreng Sakay” program, the OVP also assisted over a million passengers in 2024 individuals the cities and provinces of Metro Manila, Cavite, Bacolod, Cebu, and Davao to augment public commuter options during peak hours.

This June, the OVP also launched its free shuttle service program in Tacloban City and nearby areas.

Duterte likewise took pride in the OVP’s Disaster Relief Operations that “provided timely and life-saving support” to 92,568 families that were affected by various crises across the country.

The OVP’s “Kalusugan Food Trucks” or mobile kitchens on wheels, also served 3,914 freshly prepared meals to “the brave men and women in uniform” of the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), the Philippine National Police (PNP), and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) when they were deployed 19 times to key locations in Quezon City, Cebu, and Davao.

With an aim to address the rising issue of hunger, the OVP also distributed food bags—containing rice, canned goods, and other food items—to more than 146,000 beneficiaries under its Relief of Individuals and Indigents in Crises and Emergencies (RIICE) Program.

The Vice President said that the OVP’s “PanSarap Project” delivered nutritious buns to over 13,000 students in vulnerable communities to support their growth and learning.

When she was still DepEd chief, she distributed from May 2024 some 199,686 school bags to learners. Each bag contains “more than just supplies, but hope and encouragement.”