Robredo off to US, Canada for leadership summit

MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Leni Robredo will fly to the US and Canada this week to speak at a leadership summit and find more private partners for her office’s anti-poverty program, Angat Buhay.

Robredo said she was invited by the Center for Strategic and International Studies, which is based in Washington.

“Actually they invited me as early as last year,” Robredo said over radio station dzXL, stressing that no taxpayers’ money would be spent for her trip.

Robredo’s youngest daughter, Jillian, is currently studying at New York University.

The Vice President said her trip to the US and Canada would also be a great opportunity for her to expand Angat Buhay.

Launched in October 2016, Angat Buhay focuses on six areas—public education, rural development, food security and nutrition, women empowerment, universal healthcare and housing and resettlement—as well as disaster response and rehabilitation. 

The Office of the Vice President (OVP) links poor communities with organizations, corporations and individuals who want to help Angat Buhay.

Earlier, Robredo appealed to Congress to restore P100 million in the OVP budget for 2019, saying this is intended for Angat Buhay.