The Office of the Vice President (OVP) of the Philippines serves as the second-highest executive office in the government, tasked with supporting the President and providing leadership in national development initiatives. Its mandate is grounded in the 1987 Constitution, which ensures continuity of governance by empowering the Vice President to assume the presidency when necessary. Beyond its constitutional duties, the OVP also implements programs and projects addressing the needs of marginalized and underserved communities, embodying its purpose to uplift the lives of Filipinos across the nation.
The OVP’s scope of services spans social, economic, and humanitarian initiatives. These include medical and burial assistance, educational support, livelihood programs, and disaster relief efforts. With a commitment to inclusive development, the OVP partners with local and international stakeholders to expand its reach and impact. Each administration brings its own focus, but the overarching objective remains consistent: to serve as a beacon of leadership and compassion for the Filipino people.
OVP Assistance Programs
Before diving into the actual programs, let’s take a look at the different types of assistance offered by the OVP to the public.
- Transportation Assistance: These are programs aimed at improving mobility and providing reliable, accessible, and safe transportation for the public.
- Medical and Burial Assistance: These programs are designed to address health and funeral-related financial burdens for indigent individuals and families.
- Education and Environmental Sustainability: Programs supporting learners’ needs while fostering environmental conservation.
- Food Security and Nutrition: Programs addressing hunger, malnutrition, and access to essential food supplies.
- Livelihood and Economic Empowerment: Programs promoting self-reliance and economic integration through entrepreneurship and sustainable livelihood projects.
Now that you know the different focus areas of the OVP programs, let’s take a closer look at the actual programs and services they offer:
Libreng Sakay
The Libreng Sakay Program, launched on August 3, 2022, by the Office of the Vice President in partnership with government agencies and private entities, offers free bus rides in select cities. It aims to improve public transportation accessibility and safety, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, following LTFRB guidelines.
Purpose: To provide free and reliable transportation for daily commuters and support essential travel needs.
Features and benefits:
- Four buses in Metro Manila and one each in Cebu, Davao, and Bacolod.
- Free rides for the public.
- Adheres to COVID-19 safety protocols and transportation regulations.
- Benefited thousands of commuters, easing their daily travel.
Medical Assistance
The OVP Public Assistance Program extends medical aid to Filipinos in partnership with the Department of Health, accessible through designated hospitals and via a Digital Appointment System for face-to-face interviews. It provides targeted assistance to indigent individuals requiring medical support, following strict validation processes.
Purpose: To deliver medical assistance and address urgent health needs of indigent Filipinos.
Features and benefits:
- Digital Appointment System: Registration via a weekly schedule.
- Requirements: Includes medical application forms, social case studies, valid IDs, and additional documents based on the specific medical needs.
- Assistance coverage:
- Hospital bills (PhilHealth and discounts applied).
- Medicines, medical equipment, or procedures with price quotations and prescriptions.
- Wheelchairs for qualified patients.
- Catastrophic or emergency medical cases in private rooms, subject to justification.
- Exclusions: Pregnancy, dental, aesthetic, self-negligence cases, and professional fees.
Burial Assistance
The Burial Assistance program by the Office of the Vice President (OVP) aims to provide financial support for the burial expenses of marginalized individuals. This program helps alleviate the financial burden of low-income families during times of loss, ensuring that the deceased receive proper burial despite financial limitations.
Purpose: To assist indigent and marginalized families with burial costs following the death of a family member.
Features and benefits:
- Amount: Up to ₱5,000.
- Eligibility: Must submit the application within 15 calendar days from the date of death.
- Benefits: Burial assistance for marginalized individuals to cover burial-related expenses.
- Assistance available for indigent individuals and families in need.
- Available for individuals with a valid Certificate of Indigency or Social Case Study Report.
- Application process through OVP Satellite Offices, with required documentation.
PagbaBAGo Campaign
The PagbaBAGo: A Million Learners and Trees Campaign is a national initiative launched by the Office of the Vice President to support education and environmental sustainability. The program provides school supplies to learners while addressing climate change through tree-planting activities, distributing one million bags filled with school essentials and planting one million seedlings to enhance the National Greening Program.
Purpose: The program aims to alleviate the financial burden of school supplies for students while contributing to environmental conservation efforts, especially through reforestation and coastal protection.
Features and benefits:
- Provides educational support to learners in need
- One million bags containing school supplies and dental kits
- Enhances access to quality education for disadvantaged families
- Supports environmental sustainability through tree planting and biodiversity conservation
- One million seedlings planted nationwide
- Strengthens national greening efforts
- Involves partnerships with public and private sectors to maximize reach and impact
- Implemented in partnership with the Department of Education (DepEd), the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), and local government units
- Expands nationwide, including ten satellite offices and one extension office
Rice Program
The Rice Program of the Office of the Vice President (OVP) addresses the issue of food insecurity among disadvantaged Filipinos. Through this initiative, rice is distributed to individuals and families in need, particularly those experiencing hunger or facing emergencies.
Purpose: To alleviate hunger and provide essential food supplies to vulnerable sectors of society during times of crisis.
Features and benefits:
- Provides immediate relief to families facing food insecurity.
- Rice Distribution: Beneficiaries receive rice packages as immediate relief assistance.
- Supports local communities during crises or disasters.
- Targeted Support: Focuses on communities and individuals experiencing food shortages or emergencies.
- Strengthens food access for vulnerable groups.
Mag Negosyo Ta ‘Day (MTD)
The “Mag Negosyo Ta ‘Day” program aims to empower marginalized individuals, groups, and sectors affected by poverty, injustice, and calamities by helping them integrate into the mainstream economy as self-reliant citizens. Beneficiaries are encouraged to take active roles in addressing social challenges within their communities through entrepreneurship and sustainable livelihood projects.
Purpose: To provide financial and technical support to marginalized individuals and groups, enabling them to create sustainable livelihoods and become active contributors to community development.
Features and benefits:
- Financial grants to kickstart or expand livelihood projects.
- Grant Amounts: ₱100,000, ₱150,000, or ₱200,000 depending on the approved project proposal.
- Training sessions facilitated by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) or the Philippine Deposit Insurance Corporation (PDIC).
- Technical support and monitoring by OVP personnel.
- Support Services: Includes training, monitoring, and assistance through OVP and partner agencies.
- Collaboration with accredited Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) for community-based development.
- Eligibility for marginalized groups and individuals, fostering inclusivity and community participation.
- Application Types: Open to both individuals and groups with separate sets of documentary requirements.
PanSarap Project
The PanSarap Project is a nutritional supplementation program aimed at addressing severe malnutrition among schoolchildren in the Philippines. It provides locally produced, nutrient-rich bread to identified “severely wasted” learners during recess for 90 to 120 days, following the Philippine Plan of Action for Nutrition (PPAN) guidelines.
Purpose: To support school-based feeding initiatives by enhancing the nutritional status of malnourished learners through sustained and targeted interventions.
Features and benefits:
- Improved nutritional status and overall health of beneficiaries.
- Daily distribution of nutrient-rich bread for 90 to 120 days.
- Promotion of community involvement through local production partnerships.
- Partnerships with local producers to ensure high-quality and fresh supply.
- Targeted implementation in schools with a high incidence of malnutrition in Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.
- Increased attention and energy levels, contributing to better school performance.
Video: OVP Commemorates 89th Founding Anniversary
As the OVP commemorates its founding anniversary, watch this video from ABS-CBN News and learn more about how this particular office helps improve the lives of the masses through its programs and services: