Senators questioned on Tuesday the Department of Social Welfare and Development's (DSWD) move to trim down to 14 million the number of beneficiaries of its social amelioration program (SAP) amid complaints that several informal sector families have not yet received an aid from the national government.
During the Senate finance subcommittee's deliberation of the DSWD's P171.22-billion proposed 2021 budget, Secretary Rolando Bautista reported that the agency reduced the number to 14.3 million for the second tranche of their cash aid under the Bayanihan 1 law.
But the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act specifically mandated the provision of emergency cash subsidies to 18 million low-income households that were displaced by the COVID-19 outbreak.
"The budget allocated in Bayanihan 1 was for two tranches of SAP for 18 million families…The law provides 18 million," Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto pointed out.
For the second tranche of the SAP, the DSWD allotted a P94.5-billion budget, lower than the P99.9 billion it disbursed for the first round of the subsidies.
According to the agency's presentation, a total of P194.878 billion was allocated for the emergency subsidy grants under the SAP.
Bautista said some P10 billion from the SAP funds remains unspent. They would await guidance from the proper authorities on "whether to return this or realign this to other projects for the recovery."
"Now we have P10 billion available, it doesn't make sense to me that this money is returned to the treasury. To me, dapat itulong natin sa mga tao (this should be given to the people as aid). 'Yon ang sinabi sa Bayanihan 1, eh, na 18 million families (That's what the Bayanihan 1 said, that 18 million families should be assisted)," Recto said.
"Kung na-fulfill mo na 'yong 18 million, kung may savings pa tayo, pwede gamitin, tulungan pa natin dagdag na pamilya. Hindi natin sinabi na magdagdag-bawas (If you have already fulfilled the 18 million target and there are still savings, we can use it to help an additional number of families. We did not tell you to add and substract)," said Recto.
Sen. Nancy Binay echoed Recto: "Parang hindi ko maintindihan bakit nagkaroon na savings na P10 billion (I can't seem to understand how come there was a P10-billion savings). 'Di ba (Right)? In fact, 'yong mga jeepneys natin na na-displace nagre-reklamo na wala pa silang natatanggap (our displaced jeepney drivers have long been complaining that they haven't received anything)."
"I'm just bothered that there's a big amount na dapat nakatulong na, lalo na noong kasagsagan noong lockdown (that should have already benefitted our people especially during the lockdowns)," she added.
"Totoo namang kulang, talaga naman pong kulang mula't sapul (It was really not enough, it was lacking ever since)" Sen. Imee Marcos agreed.
What happened
The DSWD had earlier said that the reduction was due to the failure of local government units (LGUs) to fully liquidate the funds distributed to them. It also cited duplication in the beneficiaries.
DSWD legal officer Paul Tacorda explained that the reduction of the target beneficiaries was likewise ordered by President Duterte, who identified a "waitlisted group that also needs assistance" due to the quarantine protocols that the government has implemented.
He cited a May 22, 2020 memo from Duterte's office which the interagency task force "interpreted" in relation to an executive order regarding the areas placed under enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) and modified ECQ.
"So only those ares specified in those memorandum were given the emergency subsidy, and pursuant to the clamor of some of the LGUs, like the Cavite province that their additional beneficiaries be also served…so the Office of the President was prompted to consider their pleas," Tacorda told senators.
Livelihood project
"We intend to use it for livelihood assistance grants, which is the recovery phase of our program," Undersecretary Danilo Pamonag said when asked by Recto about the agency's plan on its P10-billion savings.
The proposed program, according to DSWD director Resty Macuto, will involve the distribution of P15,000 livelihood assistance to cover 664,726 informal workers affected by the pandemic, with priority to small vendors whose businesses were affected by the closures.
But Recto said the plan would also violate the Bayanihan 1, again citing the explicit provision of the law on the subsidies for poor families.
Bautista clarified they would have to seek the President's approval before using the funds for the said livelihood assistance project.
On the inquiry about "waitlisted" beneficiaries, the DSWD said the Bayanihan to Recover as One Act or Bayanihan 2 could be used as a basis for continuing the subsidies to low-income-households who have yet to receive any grants under SAP.
Recto, however, noted the contrasting statements from the DSWD officials on the use of the remaining SAP funds.
The senators asked the DSWD to submit to the committee all the documents behind its decision on the SAP.