Vice Pres. Sara Duterte Speaks on 2026 Budget Request for OVP
SARA DUTERTE – The Vice President revealed that her office is seeking for a P733 million budget in 2026 — not far from their 2025 fund.
Vice Pres. Duterte has recently returned from Malaysia where she joined a Filipino community’s celebration of the Philippine Independence Day. She was with senators Robin Padilla and Imee Marcos at the said event. The Vice President remains surrounded by issues concerning the spending of the Confidential Funds of her office.
Last February 5, after a series of hearings over the Confidential Funds spending of the Office of the Vice President (OVP) and the Department of Education when she was the DepEd Secretary, Duterte was impeached by the House of Representatives. More than 2/3 of the lawmakers in the lower chamber approved his ouster.
For 2025, the budget for the Office of the Vice President experienced a huge cut to P700 million. Recently, in a press conference in line with the 2025 Pasidungog event of the OVP, Vice Pres. Sara Duterte revealed the amount of budget that her office will request from the national government for 2026.
The Pasidungog is an annual event held by the Office of the Vice President since 2023 to give reports on the programs of the OVP. According to the Vice President, it is through the event that they get to thank the government and the private sectors as well as the CSOs and the non-government organizations that are their partners in the conduct of the programs of the office.
This 2025 Pasidungog event, Vice Pres. Duterte was asked about health institutions being willing to help in the medical programs. According to her, she is grateful to these health institutions for their partnership with the OVP as well as their recognition of the services given by the office to the underserved communities.
“Nakakalungkot lang dahil wala na kasi kaming medical and burial assistance. Ito ay tinanggal. Hindi namin siya malagyan ng budget dahil tinanggal talaga ‘yung line item sa Office of the Vice President noong lumabas ‘yung budget ng Office of the Vice President sa General Appropriations Act. Kaya matitigil ‘yung Medical and Burial Assistance pero masaya kami dahil nandiyan pa rin ‘yung mga healthcare institutions,” the Vice President said.
Vice Pres. Sara Duterte said their budget was not able to accommodate the continuity of the medical and burial assistance as well as the feeding program. With regards to the 2026 budget request of the OVP, during the press con which was posted on social media, the Vice President revealed that they will ask for P733 million.
“Sa 2026 budget, nag submit kami ng proposal na P733 million. Hindi siya kalayuan doon sa approximately P700 million na ibinigay noong nakaraang taon para sa Office of the Vice President,” Duterte said.
Vice Pres. Sara Duterte was asked why she did not opt for a higher budget for the Office of the Vice President in 2026. According to her, she already expects that she won’t be granted a bigger budget because she is not an ally of the Marcos administration.
“Dahil inaasahan ko naman na hindi ibibigay ‘yung budget ng Office of the Vice President dahil nga hindi naman kami ka-alyado ng administrasyon. At nakita na natin ‘yun noong nakaraang taon, siyempre kung hindi ka sumusunod, hindi ka ka-alyado, hindi ka mabibigyan ng pondo,” the Vice President said.
Furthermore, during the press con, Vice Pres. Duterte stressed that she does not want the personnel of the OVP being humiliated in front of the members of the Congress. According to her, the slight increase on the budget request is for inflation.
“Ayaw kung napapahiya at pinapahiya ‘yung mga ibang personnel ng Office of the Vice President lalong-lalo na kapag nandun na sila sa House of Representatives or sa Senate na kaharap ‘yung ating mga miyembro ng Kongreso,” she said.
Recently, Vice Pres. Sara Duterte also reacted to the calls for ‘bias’ senator-judges to be inhibited from the impeachment trial against her.