The Office of the Vice President (OVP) is now looking at a proposed 2026 budget of P903 million, following a series of increases approved by the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), OVP spokesperson Ruth Castelo confirmed Wednesday.
Originally, the OVP submitted a proposal amounting to P733 million. This was later raised by around P70 million by the DBM. A subsequent request from the OVP for additional funds—specifically to cover personnel services and needed IT equipment—was again approved, bringing the total to P903 million.
“When they added around P60-something million, we requested additional funds for personnel services… to better fulfill the functions and other IT equipment needed for the OVP,” Castelo said in a media interview.
She also clarified that the approved budget does not include any allocation for confidential funds. When asked why, she remarked, “If they want to give, they want to give. That is already okay. It was not requested anymore.”
Castelo expressed optimism that lawmakers would recognize the importance of the proposed allocation, adding that the OVP is fully prepared to defend the budget before Congress during deliberations.
