MANILA, Philippines — For outgoing Vice President Leni Robredo, her legacy as the country’s second-highest elected official is turning her office into an advocacy-driven agency from a mere ceremonial one.
Under Robredo’s six-year term, the OVP, through its flagship anti-poverty Angat Buhay program, handed out assistance to those in need, going above and beyond the mandate of the vice president of being a spare tire to the chief executive.
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“The core of our programs is to transform communities,” she told reporters partly in Filipino at the last press conference that she held as vice president at her office at the Quezon City Reception House.
Robredo said that when she became vice president, she wanted to go beyond the usual medical assistance programs that her predecessor provided and engage with communities so that their beliefs in how the government should be.
Beyond assistance that the OVP under Robredo provided to poor communities, it also notably served well throughout the COVID-19 pandemic by launching programs to address the ill effects of the unprecedented health crisis, like free teleconsultations for the sick and free transportation and lodging for frontline healthcare workers.
No regrets
All these, Robredo and her office achieved despite the meager resources provided to them.
Speaking to reporters, the outgoing vice president admitted that they could possibly have done more had they received more funding from the national government, but still viewed this as a “blessing in disguise” as it pushed them to be creative.
“Maybe if we had been given more, we would have been able to transform more communities. But since that is beyond our control, whatever was given to us, no matter how small, we did our best,” Robredo said.
She added that she does not have any regrets during her term and even fondly remembered her 18-day stint as co-chair of the Inter-Agency Committee on Anti-Illegal Drugs, calling it one of their best days in the OVP.
“Those were the best 18 days of our OVP life because we worked the hardest during that time as we knew I could be axed at any time,” Robredo said. “It was very satisfying in the sense that we knew that it was very difficult, but we still did what we had to do.”
Even in her failed presidential bid, Robredo said she had no regrets and would be very much willing to do it all over again.
“If I had to do it all over again, knowing what the results will be, I will still do it. Because for me, that is the happiest, most satisfying campaign I’ve been through in the many years I’ve been involved in political exercises,” she said.
Back to old life
Robredo spent half of her last full working day as vice president at her office, which she capped off with a brief presser with reporters.
As she rode the vehicle that would take her away from her office that was witness to her past six years as vice president to a lunch meeting with the Australian envoy, she was greeted with applause from staff and salutes from military personnel.
Now that she will be Citizen Leni by Thursday noon, she said she looks forward to watching more Korean dramas and reading books, but added she would not completely disappear from engagements as she will be busy with her Angat Buhay non-government organization and the fight against disinformation.
“It helps that I am a long-time NGO worker. So it’s not a problem for me to return to my old life,” Robredo said.