‘Careful’, OVP nakapagtala ng 34 pct budget utilization sa first half ng 2025- spokesperson

SINABI NG Office of the Vice President (OVP) na naging maingat sila sa naging paggasta sa pondo nito na nagresulta ng 34% budget utilization rate sa first half ng 2025.

Iyon ay sa kabila ng kailangan ng ahensiya na “bilisan” ang paggasta nito para sa second half ng taon.

Ayon kay OVP spokesperson Ruth Castelo, kailangan aniya na ang ahensiya ay “to be careful so there will be no issues thrown against us.”

“We intend to use up the entire budget allotted to us. We still have time and we are going to speed up the action on our funds,” aniya pa rin sabay sabing “We need to speed up utilizing the fund but we do not want to carelessly utilize the fund.”

‘We are just being careful,” aniya pa rin.

Sa ulat, tinapyasan ng House Committee on Appropriations ng P1.3 bilyon ang P2.037 bilyong panukalang pondo ng OVP, matapos na kuwestiyunin ng mga ito ang paggamit nito ng pondo sa nakalipas na mga taon.

“While the OVP had to halt some projects — including its burial and medical assistance programs — due to its reduced funding this year, the agency will retain its free bus ride program and livelihood assistance projects,” ayon kay Castelo.

“The OVP’s “Libreng Sakay” program is being offered in select routes in Metro Manila, Cavite, Bacolod, Cebu, Davao and Tacloban,” aniya pa rin.

“We are currently studying increasing the hours from 4 a.m. to 10 a.m… We are still studying, looking into the best possibility if we can allow that,” ang sinabi ni Castelo.

“This is also going to be a very dependable mode of transport… especially with the looming or forthcoming gasoline prices,” anito.

Inilunsad ang serbisyo sa Tacloban “because we have been consistently asked” makaraang humingi ng tulong ang mga tao doon sa OVP, ang sinabi ni Castelo nang tanungin kung bakit pinalawak ng OVP ang “Libreng Sakay” operations nito sa balwarte ni House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, kalaban sa pulitika ni VP Sara.

Ang bus ng OVP sa Tacloban ay nagsisilbi bilang shuttle service na tumatakbo pabalik-balik mula sa city center patungong relocation site para sa mga biktima ng Yolanda.

Iniugnay naman ni Castelo ang 85.5 percent budget utilization rate ng OVP noong 2024 sa mahirap na pagsusuri ng ilang benepisaryo.

“There were a lot of challenges in implementing the programs of the OVP,” ayon kay Castelo, ang ahensiya aniya ay may hiwalay na “manual of operation” para sa bawat proyekto.

“It takes a lot of time in assessing and qualifying the would-be beneficiaries of the program,” aniya pa rin, tinukoy ang livelihood assistance program ng OVP.

Samantala, noong nakaraang linggo ani Castelyo ay binigyan ng 60 araw ng Commission on Audit ang OVP “to submit the corrections or whatever remedial actions” na napuna ang financial submissions nito sa state auditing firm.

“I’m not sure if she will attend the budget hearing but we have competent staff to defend why we need this kind of money,” ang pahayag ni Castelo. (Daris Jose)