OVP reports 34% utilization rate for 2025 budget amid challenges

MANILA, Philippines — The Office of the Vice President (OVP) on Wednesday said it is aiming to increase the utilization rate of its P733-million budget for this year, which currently stands at 34 percent as of June.

During a press conference, OVP spokesperson Ruth Castelo said the office “intend[s] to use up the entire budget that was allotted to us for 2025,” and will accelerate the implementation of its programs to improve its utilization rate.

“We’re already at 34-percent utilization rate. [W]e still have time, and we’re going to speed up the action on all of our programs,” Castelo said.

According to her, internal issues contributed to the delays.

“There were a lot of challenges inside, internally, in the Office of the Vice President,” she said, adding that the OVP was also being “careful” in using its funds to avoid raising any “issues.”

“We understand that we need to speed up utilizing the funds, but we also do not want to carelessly utilize the funds. So we are being very careful so as not to open any issue that may be thrown against us,” Castelo said.

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Castelo also reported that the OVP utilized 85.55 percent, or P1.783 billion, of its P2.084-billion budget for 2024.

She explained that part of the 2024 budget remained unspent because the OVP was “unable to release some of the funding for certain projects due to additional requirements that were necessary.”

In particular, she cited delays in implementing the Mag Negosyo Ta ‘Day program.



“There were a lot of challenges in implementing the Mag Negosyo Ta ‘Day, because it takes a lot of time in accessing and qualifying the would-be beneficiaries of the program,” she said.

Mag Negosyo Ta ‘Day is a flagship program of the OVP that aims to provide “financial and technical assistance to support livelihood projects,” and has “facilitated the establishment of small businesses across the country.” /jpv

(2025/07/16-12:54)

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