OVP says it has served over 2 million Filipinos in past two years

The Office of the Vice President (OVP) on Sunday said it has served more than two million Filipinos through its initiatives in the past two years, with the majority being assisted through its satellite offices.

In a statement, the OVP said it assisted 2,027,164 individuals through its medical, burial, and relief programs, of whom 1.5 million were through its satellite offices and two extension offices in the country.

“The said mechanism aims to bring closer the assistance of OVP to indigent, marginalized, and underserved communities since the areas identified were based on accessibility, volume of traffic, mode of transportation, presence of hospitals, and high people traffic,” the OVP said.

Data from the OVP showed that the biggest regional share for the first half of 2024 was in the National Capital Region with 227,370 beneficiaries, followed by the Davao Region—the bailiwick of Vice President Sara Duterte—with 175,908 beneficiaries.

These were followed by Western Visayas with 129,851 beneficiaries, Central Visayas with 115,874 beneficiaries, Calabarzon with 15,199 beneficiaries, the Bicol Region with 11,150 beneficiaries, and the Zamboanga Peninsula with 9,660 beneficiaries.

The OVP released the statement in the wake of a contentious budget hearing at the House of Representatives, and a subsequent hearing which nobody from the OVP attended.

The is seeking to serve around 1.4 million Filipinos across the country under its proposed 2025 budget, but the House appropriations panel has recommended a P1.29-billion cut.

House Deputy Majority Leader Jude Acidre said the OVP’s 2025 budget will be “responsive to her office’s mandate.” — BM, GMA Integrated News

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