Senate adopts House version of OVP 2025 budget

By Wilnard Bacelonia, Philippine News Agency

Seventeen senators voted on Tuesday to postpone the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) for another year while only Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel III and his deputy, Senator Risa Hontiveros, opposed. (File photo: Senate of the Philippines/Facebook)

MANILA – The Senate Committee on Finance has decided to adopt the House of Representatives’ version of the proposed 2025 budget of the Office of the Vice President (OVP) for its failure to submit the documents asked by the panel.

Under the General Appropriations Bill (GAB) sent by the House to the Senate, the OVP will only receive PHP733 million next year, instead of the proposed PHP2.03 billion.

“We reached out several times to the Office of the Vice President requesting them to submit documents to clarify issues regarding their budget but they have not submitted as of today,” Senator Grace Poe, who chairs the panel, said in a Viber message to reporters late Tuesday.

She, however, clarified that the panel retained the OVP budget under House Bill No. 10800 or the 2025 GAB “pending submission and review of these documents.”

Under the 2025 National Expenditure Program (NEP), the OVP is asking to spend PHP2.037 billion next year but was cut by PHP1.3 billion by the House.

The budget cut was reallocated to the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) program, and Department of Health’s (DOH) Medical Assistance for Indigent and Financially Incapacitated Patients program.

“While we cannot account for movements in the figures on an apples-to-apples basis, we can say that we retained the original budget for the relevant item in DSWD while we increased further the item under the DOH budget,” Poe said.

Lauded

House Appropriations Committee Chair Elizaldy Co lauded the Senate’s decision, reflecting its commitment to fiscal responsibility and transparency.

“This move underscores our shared commitment to eliminate redundant roles and ensure government spending prioritizes efficient public service,” Co said in a statement on Wednesday.

Co said the budget cut comes primarily from reductions in the OVP’s satellite office rental expenses.

In 2023, the OVP reported PHP53 million in expenses for the lease of 10 satellite offices and two extensions nationwide.

The move to reduce these expenditures is expected to yield substantial savings, addressing what Co described as “duplicated services” better managed by established government agencies.

“The establishment of these satellite offices has led to duplicated services, which are better managed by agencies like DSWD and DOH (Department of Health),” Co said.

Co argued that the budget realignment could benefit programs like the DSWD’s Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) and Ayuda sa Kapos ang Kita Program (AKAP), as well as the DOH’s Medical Assistance to Indigent and Financially Incapacitated Patients (MAIFIP).

Under the revised allocation, these two programs will each receive PHP646.5 million from the OVP’s budget cut, with the funds directed toward expanding support for vulnerable sectors. By reallocating these resources, the government aims to enhance the DSWD and DOH’s capacity to deliver medical and financial aid to underserved populations.

Co underscored the importance of prudent budgeting and streamlining to improve the efficiency of public service delivery.

“The Senate’s support of the OVP budget cuts is a significant step toward ensuring that each peso serves the public effectively,” he said, calling the move part of a broader initiative to promote a transparent and responsible fiscal administration.

AKAP still pending

Meanwhile, the panel also decided to remove, in the meantime, the Ayuda sa Kapos Ang Kita Program (AKAP) from the Office of the Secretary’s budget in the DSWD which was augmented by the House in the 2025 GAB.

AKAP aims to help minimum wage earners affected by rising inflation.

Poe said it is not part of the 2025 NEP and is still subject to discussions by senators.

“The Senate Committee Report has, for the most part, retained the President’s proposed budget. Depending on how the debates go, it remains to be seen whether the Senate, as a whole, will go with the President’s proposal or the House’s augmentation on this particular item,” she said.

Poe assured that the Senate Finance panel remains focused on passing the 2025 national budget “in a timely manner” to deliver the commitment to “uplift the lives of the Filipino people.” (with a report from Filane Cervantes/PNA)