Free rides for commuters, relief operations for disaster-hit communities, and wheelchairs for people with mobility difficulties are among the initiatives the Office of the Vice President (OVP) intends to keep running next year under a leaner proposed budget.
The office is asking Congress for P785.204 million in 2027, a figure endorsed by the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) as part of the National Expenditure Program. That request sits 11.7 percent below the P889.236 million the OVP was granted for the current fiscal year.
Most of the money would go toward day-to-day operations. The largest share, P561.651 million, is earmarked for maintenance and other operating expenses, a category that includes P193.103 million for goods procurement and livelihood support tied to the MagNegosyo Ta ‘Day program. Personnel services account for P220.232 million, while capital outlays are pegged at a comparatively modest P3.321 million.
A separate sum of P15.544 million, covering retirement and life insurance premiums for the office’s plantilla staff, is automatically appropriated and falls outside the requested total.
Beyond the Libreng Sakay transport subsidy, disaster response, and wheelchair distribution, the OVP’s list of funded activities spans the Pagbabago Campaign, R.I.I.C.E. Food Bags, the KALUSUGAN Food Truck, Al-Janazah Kits, and the You Can Be VP Program. The office has said these programs are meant to reach millions of commuters and tens of thousands of other beneficiaries.
Pressed on whether it can deliver on those commitments with less money to work with, the OVP has pointed to its spending performance. As of June 30, the office reported an obligation rate of 43.07 percent, running ahead of its 41 percent target for that point in the year.
