27/11/2025
Senator B**g Go gives full support for OVP, pushes for more funding for its social services programs as Senate restores its PhP889 million proposed 2026 budget
During the Senate plenary deliberations for the Office of the Vice President (OVP) budget on Thursday, November 27, Senator Christopher “B**g” Go manifested his full support for the proposed appropriations allotted to the office for 2026, emphasizing that its importance to fulfill functions rooted from a direct mandate given by the Filipino electorate to duly elected VP Sara Duterte.
As Vice Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Finance, he explained that the Senate acted in favor of various proposals, including his, in restoring the OVP’s budget, which had previously been reduced in the House of Representatives, and that the restored amount will allow the continuation of existing programs that directly assist Filipinos.
He explained: “As manifested during the hearing, nakapagsagawa ng mga mahahalagang programa ang OVP na may direktang benepisyo sa ating mga kababayan. It is for this reason that we wrote to the Chairperson of the Committee on Finance and proposed to restore the budget of the OVP amounting to P889 million, which was reduced by the House of Representatives. We are glad that the Committee adopted our proposal and restored the budget of the OVP.”
He underscored that the OVP had already demonstrated its ability to conduct meaningful and effective initiatives aimed at helping ordinary Filipinos. These tangible outcomes, he argued, justified the need to revert its budget to the level required to sustain such interventions as included in the National Expenditure Program.
Go further stressed that the OVP carries and embodies an elected mandate from the Filipino electorate, saying: “We reiterate the need to support the essential nature of the functions of the OVP in fulfilling its mission of delivering direct public service.”
Beyond the restored amount, Go noted that he had also made an additional written appeal to strengthen the OVP’s social services budget. He said that social interventions facilitated by the OVP complement relevant efforts of national agencies, widening the reach of public assistance, especially for vulnerable sectors.
“It is for this reason that we also wrote the Committee to increase the budget of the OVP for social services. The allocation of additional budget will enable the OVP to implement various initiatives that supplement and reinforce the efforts of national agencies in delivering direct assistance to vulnerable sectors.”
He noted that expanding the OVP’s capacity to provide social assistance could only lead to more Filipinos benefiting from its programs intended to help the most needy.
“Wala naman sigurong masama kung dagdagan ang budget ng OVP para sa social services para mas marami pa ang makapag-bigay ng tulong at mas marami rin ang ating matulungan,” he said.
“We leave it to the wisdom and discretion of the body if my proposal could be accommodated at the proper time,” he added.
**gGo
