The proposed ₱902.9 million budget of the Office of the Vice President (OVP) for 2026 swiftly passed the Senate Finance sub-committee with little resistance.
Vice President Sara Duterte personally attended the hearing along with OVP staff to answer questions regarding the proposed allocation.
The budget deliberation lasted only 30 minutes after Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri moved to approve it, citing both courtesy to the Vice President and Senate tradition.
“It’s a lean budget. Maybe we can have the courtesy to approve the budget,” Zubiri said, a motion that was seconded by members of the “Duterte bloc” who were present during the session.
The bloc, now part of the Senate minority, also pushed for the restoration of ₱39 million that had been slashed by the Department of Budget and Management (DBM). According to the OVP, the amount was intended for the upgrade of its information and communications technology (ICT) equipment.
The OVP’s budget will now move forward to the Senate plenary deliberations.