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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider OVP ready if P903-M budget is slashed — Castelo

OVP ready if P903-M budget is slashed — Castelo

Published Aug 6, 2025 01:57 pm

At A Glance

  • OVP spokesperson Ruth Castelo said they will respect any decision by lawmakers to revert the office's allocation to its previous level of P733 million.
The Office of the Vice President (OVP) is prepared to continue its programs even if Congress decides to cut its proposed P903-million budget for 2026, its spokesperson said on Wednesday, Aug. 6.
Office of the Vice President spokesperson Ruth Castelo (OVP)
Office of the Vice President spokesperson Ruth Castelo (OVP)
Speaking to reporters, OVP spokesperson Ruth Castelo said they will respect any decision by lawmakers to revert the office’s allocation to its previous level of P733 million.
“Well, the Office of the Vice President is ready for any eventuality,” Castelo said.
“Kung babawasan nila or ibabalik nila sa (If they will decrease it or revert it to) P733 million for 2025, we cannot do anything. But we will proceed. We will still pursue the programs that we already have,” she added.
According to Castelo, the P903-million proposed budget is already distributed among the OVP’s ongoing programs, including disaster response and relief operations.
She noted that their disaster operations allocation increased from P30.3 million this year to P56.6 million in 2026 to account for inflation and expanded manpower needs.
“This will necessarily include inflation and the additional personnel that we will need to complete a bigger project,” she explained.
Castelo also underscored that the OVP continues to accept assistance from the private sector to extend its services to more beneficiaries.
“So kung merong mga nagbibigay (If there will be donaations), we document them properly and then we, of course, with all gratitude, natutulungan nila ang Office of the Vice President na makatulong sa mas maraming benepisaryo (they are helping the OVP assist more beneficiaries),” she said.
Meanwhile, Castelo welcomed the statement of Senate finance committee chairman Sherwin Gatchalian that the upper chamber is inclined to approve the OVP’s proposed P903-million budget as long as no confidential funds are included.
“That means the budget of P903 million is already approved, kasi wala po talagang confidential funds na nakalagay doon (since there are no confidential funds there),” she said.
“So, thank you, Senator Win. Hindi na mababawasan yung P903 million budget ng Office of the Vice President (Our budget is intact),” she added.
Vice President Sara Duterte earlier announced that the OVP would no longer seek confidential or intelligence funds in its future budget proposals, following last year’s controversies.

Related Tags

OVP OVP budget Ruth Castelo Office of the Vice President
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