Statement of VP Sara Duterte’s Office on 2026 Budget, Donations
SARA DUTERTE’S OFFICE – The Office of the Vice President clarified that they are not asking for monetary contributions but only in-kind donations.
The Congress has started its deliberation of the 2026 National Budget. Previously, during the Marcos SONA 2025, Pres. Bongbong Marcos claimed that he will not approve a budget that is not in line with the plans of the government. According to him, he will return those budget proposals that are misaligned with government plans.
Senate Pres. Chiz Escudero reacted to the remarks of Marcos Jr. saying that the Congress still has the “power of the purse”. The Senate Chief stressed that the Congress should not be like a “rubber stamp” and not all budget proposals from the executive department must be approved right away.
Escudero also claimed that Marcos Jr.’s Cabinet secretaries were allegedly asking additional budget for their departments. According to him, the Chief Executive must tell his secretaries if he does not want much insertions in the national budget.
With regards to the proposed budget of Vice Pres. Sara Duterte’s office for 2026, based on a report on GMA News, it is at P903 million. The OVP’s spokesperson, Atty. Ruth Castelo, claimed that the proposed budget is enough to sustain the ongoing programs of the office.
“The budget, the P903 million budget of the Office of the Vice President, is allocated already per program,” Castelo said.
The spokesperson of Vice Pres. Sara Duterte’s office admitted that there is a significant increase in the budget allotted for disaster operations from Php 30.25 million this year to Php 56.62 in 2026. According to Castelo, they already included the cost for the inflation as well as the additional of personnel.
Based on the report, Vice Pres. Sara Duterte’s office admitted that they augment their reach through donations from their private partners. Meanwhile, Castelo clarified that they don’t accept monetary donations — only in-kind donations such as goods or equipment that go directly to the beneficiaries.
Vice Pres. Sara Duterte previously claimed that her office did not seek for a higher budget for 2026 because she is not an ally of the Marcos administration. She expects her proposal to be turned down nor cut. Amid the issues, the 2025 budget of the Vice Pres. Sara Duterte’s office was cut by P1.3 billion.