MANILA (PNA) — The House Committee on Appropriations on Tuesday approved the proposed Php 222.6 million budget of the Office of the Vice President (OVP) for 2015 without any objections during budget hearings held at the House of Representatives in Quezon City.
The budget proposal was immediately approved by the House panel after being presented to the House panel by Benjamin Martinez, the chief of staff of Vice President Jejomar Binay.
The Php222.632 million OVP budget for 2015 is higher by 2.46 percent than this year’s budget of Php217.296 million – or an increase of Php5.336 million.
Martinez said that this is due to the proposed increases for Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses (MOOE) and Capital Outlay.
The proposed MOOE for 2015 – at Php172.435 million – is Php3.334 million higher than this year’s while the proposed Capital Outlay for next year has Php2.684 million whereas there was none for 2014.
Martinez said that the proposal for Capital Outlay pertains to the acquisition of two motorcycle units to replace the dilapidated units currently being used by the Vice President’s security escorts.
Meanwhile, he said the proposal for Personnel Services is lower by Php682,000 than this year’s budget as a result of personnel movements.
Appropriations Committee chair Isidro Ungab of Davao City said that with this kind of budget, it is just proper to immediately approve it without any further deliberations.
The move was unanimously approved by the panel members. (Philippine News Agency)