Aspiring president Senator Manny Pacquiao prefers giving away a sack of rice to poor Filipino families instead of a P200 monthly cash aid amid the continuous hikes in local fuel prices.
Pacquiao said that the government must give away rice to affected Filipino families and not the "measly" P200.
He added the government should also purchase the subsidized rice from local farmers "at a reasonable cost" as they are also barely surviving "because of the influx of cheap imported rice, the unabated smuggling, and the high cost of production".
"Kakapiranggot masyado ang P200 kada buwan na ayuda sa mga pamilyang mahihirap (The P200 monthly aid is a measly amount even for poor families)," he said.
"Pag may bigas ka kasi at mahirap ka, kahit papaano may kaunting mantika ka dyan at may asin o toyo ka, pwede mo nang maitawid ang gutom mo. Sigurado ka pa na sa pagkain mapupunta at hind isa ibang bagay (The poor can already fight hunger with rice, cooking oil, and salt or soy sauce. You can even be sure that the aid will be used for food and not for something else)," added Pacquiao, who recalled going through the same experience as a kid when his family was still poor.
The May 2022 Palace bet said President Duterte's move to allocate some P33.1 billion to finance the cash assistance for the "bottom 50 percent of all Filipino households" is similar to his position, which is for the government to address the skyrocketing cost of fuel either by suspending the excise tax on fuel or by providing direct subsidy to the poor.
But Pacquiao stressed the P200 per month subsidy is not enough to help the country's poor. A monthly supply of a sack of rice is the better option, he said.
"We will be shooting two birds with just one stone if government will choose this option to help the poor. Mabibigyan na natin ng konting ginhawa ang mga mahihirap, matutulungan pa natin ang mga magsasaka sa pagbili ng kanilang mga ani (We will be able to provide relief to the poor and at the same time help our farmers by buying their produce)," he said.