OVP ready as Congress tackles 2026 budget

Vice President Sara Duterte's office will settle for whatever amount Congress decides to approve for their budget next year, its spokesperson said Friday, September 5, vowing that they would be "ready for any eventuality" once the budget hearings start.

- Cristina Chi/Philstar.com

"Whether they increase it or decrease it, it's the same thing for us. We will still do whatever needs to be done," OVP spokesperson Ruth Castelo said in an interview on Friday. "There will just be more programs that can be accomplished and completed if the funding is bigger."

The OVP's proposed spending plan for 2026 is P902.8 million. This is around a 21% increase from its P744-million budget last year — an amount that was given to the OVP after Congress realigned chunks of its original proposed budget.

Last year saw OVP budget hearings at the House of Representatives descend into chaos as Duterte quarreled with lawmakers during the proceedings.