Senate panel swiftly approves OVP’s proposed 2027 budget

MANILA, Philippines – Citing parliamentary courtesy, the Senate finance subcommittee on Tuesday swiftly approved on committee level the Office of the Vice President’s (OVP) proposed 2027 budget of P785.2 million.

“Of course, we accorded the OVP with parliamentray courtesy. As I’ve said, it was among the very few agencies that reduced its budget for this year,” Sen. JV Ejercito, chair of the finance committee, told reporters after the budget briefing.

He noted that many agencies have actually been requesting for additional or bigger budget despite the government’s limited fiscal space.

“But the OVP had a budget cut, just like what the Senate did as part of the austerity measures. So in less than 30 minutes, we passed their budget,” added Ejercito.

Pressed why parliamentary courtesy need to be extended when budget of agencies need to be meticulously scrutinized, the senator said that as the chair of the finance committee, the OVP’s request for a lower budget for 2027 is such a big deal.

The OVP’s proposed spending budget is 11.7 percent lower than its P889.236-million allocation in 2026.

“We just accorded the parliamentary courtesy being accorded to the executive department, and being the second highest official of the land, it is just fitting to extend courtesy to the vice president, whatever the situation is,” he said.

Vice President Sara Duterte was a no-show at the budget briefing, but she was represented by her chief of staff, lawyer Zuleika Lopez, and other OVP officials.

Ejercito said it would be nice for Duterte to attend the budget deliberations at the plenary to further defend her office’s budget.

“It would be nice to have her. As I told Aty. Zuleika, [Duterte] would be most welcome to attend…she has been attending the Senate budget plenary. But in case she does not, we do understand,” he said.

“Of course, there may be a feeling of awkwardness because of the political noise and the impeachment trial. We do understand. What’s more important is to pass the OVP budget so that its social programs will continue,” he added.

During the hearing, Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian said the OVP seemed to be spending their budget “as efficiently and as wisely as possible.”

“I was reading the OVP budget and I saw that compared to last year, it went down by 11 percent. It went down by approximately from P889 million to P785 million. And I also saw that their main program is the socio-economic program that helps our constituents. And I saw various components of that program. So with that, I saw that the Office of the Vice President is spending their budget as efficiently, as wisely as possible,” said Gatchalian.

“Of course, as vice president, she also has a lot of people to help. As politicians, many people really come to us. I’m sure that many people also come to the vice president to seek help. And this socio-economic program will be a tool for her to help her constituents, or our constituents for that matter, to provide relief to our constituents,” Gatchalian added. /gsg