NO SWEAT: OVP BUDGET OKAYED
AS a tradition and respect to the Office of the Vice President, the House committee on appropriations easily approved its P2.385 billion proposed budget for 2024.
Vice President Sara Duterte was present during the budget hearing.
It was Senior Deputy Majority Leader and Ilocos Norte Rep. Ferdinand Alexander Marcos moved to terminate the discussion on the OVP budget in respect to a long-standing tradition of parliamentary courtesy.
It was seconded but members of the Makabayan bloc objected to the motion leading to a vote. In the end, 21 members of the committee voted in favor of the ending the deliberations.
ACT Teachers Rep. France Castro wanted to grill the OVP on the proposed confidential funds of P500 million.
Also, Castro has raised an issue over the realignment of at least P125 million OVP budget in 2022 to confidential expenses.
Based on the briefer, the the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) recommended a budget of P2.385 Billion for the OVP next year, which is 1.22 percent higher than its 2023 budget.
The OVP originally wanted P5.701 billion for 2024.
The OVP briefer also said that the recommended maintenance and other operating expenses (MOOE) for 2024 was higher by 2.22 percent than the current year or equivalent to P2.15 billion.
“Significant portion of the total MOOE is allocated for Financial Assistance/ Subsidies and Welfare Goods which account for 42.8 percent and 12 percent of the total MOOE, or P920.8 million and P258.8 million, respectively,” the briefer said.
The OVP also submitted an accomplishment report which stated that for the first semester of 2023, it continued to implement its flagship projects, together with the subsequent opening of 3 additional satellite offices in the Bangsamoro and Bicol regions so the OVP could expand its program and service delivery nationwide.
