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Robredo asks House panel to help restore cuts in OVP's 2019 budget
Vice President Leni Robredo on Wednesday appealed to the House Committee on Appropriations to help restore the reductions in the proposed budget of her office for 2019.
Robredo personally made the appeal as she presented before the committee the proposed P447-million budget for the Office of the Vice President under the National Expenditure Program for 2019.
VP Leni Robredo is here at the House to attend briefing for the proposed budget of the Office of the Vice President. @gmanews pic.twitter.com/Y2Hl8VBqBo
— Erwin Colcol (@erwincolcol) August 29, 2018
According to Robredo, her office suffered about P100-million cut for next year from its 2018 appropriation of P543 million.
This, even though her office only proposed a P6-million increase in their budget this year, she said.
"That would mean that we would not be able to continue with our livelihood assistance to our adopted LGUs (local government units)," Robredo said.
"So we would like to make this appeal. Sana po kahit ibalik lang 'yung dati," she added.
Robredo said her office's livelihood assistance program would be of great help to its adoptive LGUs which are found in the "poorest and farthest of our communities."
In 2016 and 2017, Robredo said her office heavily relied on the private sector to help them in their projects.
"[But] it's very difficult if we are entirely dependent on private sector support because our private partners have their own advocacies and sometimes, they are not really aligned with the results of our needs assessment with the communities," she said.
"So I would like to make this appeal, baka pwedeng maibalik yung dating binigay sa amin," she added.
In response, House panel chair Karlo Nograles assured Robredo that his committee will help her restore the budget cuts.
"If it's any consolation, most of the departments also experienced the same. Which is why we try to resolve all these things. Huwag kayong mag-alala, hahanapan natin ng paraan ang mga problemang ito," he said.
Following this, Albay Representative Edcel Lagman immediately moved to terminate the budget briefing for the OVP, only less than 15 minutes after it started.
"Consistent with the enduring tradition of this committee, I move for the termination of the hearing on the proposed budget of the Office of the Vice President without prejudice to an interpellation during the plenary consideration of the proposed budget and also without prejudice or augmentation of the proposed budget," Lagman said.
Hearing no objections from other lawmakers, Nograles approved Lagman's motion.
