The Office of the Vice President (OVP) defended Vice President Sara Duterte’s request for a P10 million allocation in the 2025 national budget to distribute her children’s book, “Isang Kaibigan,” to learners.
OVP spokesperson Atty. Michael Wesley Poa explained that the book, launched in November last year, is a teaching tool aimed at encouraging reading among children. “The very purpose of the book is reading… We need to improve ‘yung reading ng learners,” Poa stated during a TeleRadyo Serbisyo interview.
Vice President Duterte confirmed on Tuesday that she is seeking the budget allocation to provide copies of “Isang Kaibigan” along with school bags and supplies to students. “Itong book na ito ay parte po ito ng Pagbabago bags… May laman na school supplies and dental kits. Isasama na rin next year ‘yung libro,” Poa added.
However, the budget request faced opposition, particularly from party-list lawmaker Rep. France Castro, who described the book as a form of propaganda. “Hindi pwedeng pondohan ng gobyerno ang isang libro na siya ang author at ipamimigay sa tao. Pag ginawa ito, kahit sinong government official pwedeng gawin ‘yan,” Castro remarked in a separate interview.
The proposed budget allocation for the book was one of the points of contention during a Senate budget hearing, where VP Duterte and Senator Risa Hontiveros engaged in a heated exchange. Hontiveros questioned the necessity of the book’s funding, while Duterte accused her of politicking and promised to send her a copy of the book.
Poa clarified that the OVP’s programs, including the distribution of the book, are meant to augment existing government initiatives, not duplicate them. He emphasized that similar financial aid programs were also carried out by previous vice presidents.