Senate panel approves P902.895M budget for OVP for 2026

The Senate finance subcommittee swiftly approved the P902.895-million proposed budget for the Office of the Vice President (OVP) for the 2026 fiscal year.

Vice President Sara Duterte personally appeared before the panel to defend her office's budget, which does not include any request for confidential funds for 2026.

Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri moved to approve the budget, describing the proposed allocation as "lean and mean" due to the absence of controversial line items and invoked parliamentary courtesy.

Senator Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa seconded the motion, which was met with support from other senators present.

The OVP's budget now moves to the Senate plenary for further deliberation and final approval.

The proposed allocation is intended to cover the OVP's administrative operations, public service programs, and nationwide outreach initiatives.