PASAY CITY — Vice President Sara Duterte on Monday paid tribute to her office’s partners for their “invaluable support.”
“We are here because of our shared aspiration for our fellow Filipinos — especially those who have been pushed against the wall by poverty and the cycle of violence that comes with it,” Duterte said during the One Year Report and ‘Pasidungog’ 2023 at the Sofitel Manila.
“We are here because of our mutual trust and respect — and our shared sense of collective responsibility to ensure the overall welfare of our people,” she added.
Duterte said the collaborations were fundamentally framed within the common desire to serve Filipinos as public servants, business industry leaders, civil society groups, foreign government and development partners, academics, faith-based organizations, and private citizens.
A total of 432 local and private sectors, government agencies, and key persons were awarded for their invaluable contribution to the successful implementation of OVP programs.
The Vice President thanked the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. for supporting the OVP’s Medical Assistance Program and Burial Assistance Program.
“To the honorable members of Congress, who believed in our genuine desire to serve the people — maraming salamat po. Hindi po nasasayang ang budget na binigay ninyo sa OVP. Naibabalik namin ito sa mga Pilipino sa pamamagitan ng aming mga programa,” Duterte said.
For the Medical Assistance alone, a total of 22,970 Filipinos have already been served from June last year to April this year. The aid amounts to P236,018,374.
Meanwhile, a total of 6,175 families have been served by the OVP for its Burial Assistance Program, amounting to P30,875,000, to provide relief to families without the financial capacity to bury their dead loved ones.
Duterte also lauded the Philippine Deposit Insurance Corporation (PDIC) and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) for the financial literacy and capacity building training for Mag Negosyo Ta ‘Day (MTD) beneficiaries.
MTD aims to augment the daily income of women and members of the LGBTQI+ by providing them with trainings and funding.
“I am confident in the potential of this project to improve the economic condition of people, as I have personally seen positive results when I implemented it in Davao as the mayor of the city,” Duterte said.
The MTD was one of Duterte’s many flagship projects when she was still mayor of Davao City. The OVP has adopted the project for nationwide implementation.
She also acknowledged the transport sector — the Department of Transportation, the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB), and the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) for the smooth implementation of the OVP’s Libreng Sakay program.
She also thanked the JAC LINER Inc., Vallacar Transit Inc., and Bachelor Express Inc. for their generosity in providing solutions to the mobility concerns of thousands of Filipinos living in key cities of the Philippines.
Ending her 28-minutes speech, Duterte called on partners to “hold on to our dream as a nation.”
“For it was our shared dreams and our shared desire to serve — fortified by our unity — that breathed life into our programs,” Duterte said.
“This is us investing in social change. This is us investing in our children by promoting their welfare and fundamental rights as humans and citizens of our country. This is us investing in the future.” she added.
OVP MEDIA