Statement of Vice Pres. Sara Duterte’s Office on the 2026 Proposed Budget
SARA DUTERTE’S OFFICE – The Office of the Vice President affirmed that they are ready to defend their P902.8 million proposed budget for 2026.
The Senate and the House of Representatives are set to hold hearings over the proposed budget of the different government offices and departments for next year. The lower chamber will conduct a hearing on September 12 while the upper chamber will hold its hearing on September 15. The Office of the Vice President requests for a P902.8 million budget for next year.
Previously, Vice Pres. Sara Duterte claimed that she opts not to request for a bigger budget for 2026 as she does not expect for it to be approved. In 2025, the OVP was given a P733-million budget.
For 2026, Vice Pres. Sara Duterte’s office proposed budget is enough for their programs as per the OVP. However, ahead of the budget talks, Vice Pres. Sara Duterte claimed she already sees budget cuts in the proposed budget of the OVP for 2026. She cited that the President and the House Speaker are still the same people.
The recent claim of Duterte was a reaffirmation of her previous statement that she opted not to ask for a bigger budget because she is not an ally of the Marcos Jr. administration. The rift between her and Pres. Bongbong Marcos is no secret to the Filipino people.
Recently, Vice Pres. Sara Duterte’s office spoke about the upcoming Senate and House hearings over the OVP’s P902.8-million proposed budget for 2026. Based on a report on ABS-CBN News, Atty. Ruth Castelo, the OVP’s spokesperson, stressed that their proposed budget was approved by the Department of Budget and Management (DBM).
“Medyo lumaki ng konti from 2025 to 2026… meron tayong, like you mentioned, it’s around 21%. Meron kasing mga programa na kailangan talaga na tinaasan naman nila,” the OVP said.
Vice Pres. Sara Duterte’s office also stressed that the DBM has already recommended their P902.8-million proposed budget for 2026 to the Congress. Based on the report, the OVP is hoping that the legislators will not move for the reduction of the budget.
“Actually, recommended na yun ng DBM sa Congress so sana ito na iyon. Sana hindi na nila bawasan, we’re ready to defend it anytime,” she said.
Furthermore, Atty. Castelo expressed that the DBM granted the additional budget for the flagship projects of the office of Vice Pres. Sara Duterte which include the “Mag Negosyo Ta ‘Day,” a livelihood initiative, and the “PagbaBAGo Campaign, which targets the distribution of school bags with school supplies for the students. Meanwhile, based on the report, the OVP is ready for a re-alignment of the budget if necessary.
Previously, the OVP stressed that Vice Pres. Sara Duterte is “ready” to defend the proposed budget of her office for 2026 but her attendance to the hearings is unsure.