THE Office of the Vice President Jejomar Binay has turned over P503 million from its budget for 2016, including a 49-page accomplishment report, to incoming Vice President Leni Robredo.
The amount is 80 percent of the office’s budget for this year.
In a statement, Undersecretary Benjamin Martinez Jr., the OVP’s chief of staff, said the office had served 56,722 poor Filipinos seeking medical, burial and transportation assistance from July 2010 to March 2016.
The report highlighted the provision of relief to 642,143 families, medical and dental checkups to 143,251 beneficiaries, educational support to 124,416 children of indigenous groups, and wheelchairs to 734 disabled people.
The report also included the financial status of the office, noting that the Binay administration had spent around P78.8 million or 15.7 percent of the 2016 budget.
“I have been given instruction by VP Binay to make it [the transition] as smooth as possible. Whatever information, whatever is needed for them to transfer easily, let’s do it,” Martinez said.
“We made sure that the office is ready for the new vice president. Gusto kong ipakita sa kanila na we will leave the office in a good situation. As much as possible, gusto namin na parang the following day, pagdating nila dito, tuluy-tuloy lang ang serbisyo na dapat ibigay sa mga tao.” Vito Barcelo
The report says the incoming administration still has more than 80 percent of the P503-million OVP budget for 2016.
“Ang nagagastos pa lang namin [as of the] end of May was P78 million. Ang budget ng OVP is P500 million. So technically speaking, less than half pa doon sa half [of the budget] ang nagagastos namin,” Martinez said.
“I think they will be happy na marami pa silang magagastos in terms of their programs. Give it another 10 million siguro by the end of June. Definitely way, way below ang aming nagastos.”
