Department of Finance (DOF) Secretary Benjamin Diokno told the House Committee on Appropriations that it's a "waste of public funds" at this point to give cash aid or "ayuda" to Filipinos in relation to the Covid-19 pandemic.
"On the giving of ayuda in relation to the crisis, I think that should already be discontinued because we have actually fully recovered. OK? And because of the limited fiscal space," Diokno opined before the House panel members on Friday afternoon, Aug. 26.
"But the social protection programs, the DSWD (Department of Social Welfare and Development), I think that should continue. The aid to senior citizens, that should continue," he clarified, referring to ayuda that is not linked to the pandemic.
"But the giving out of ayuda in relation to the pandemic, that is, I think, already a waste of public funds," he said.
Diokno made these remarks after his interpellator, Kabataan Party-list Rep. Raoul Manuel asked the Development Budget Coordination Committee (DBCC) what "in totality" was the government's view on the giving of cash aid to citizens.
The DOF is part of the DBCC, which was the first set of agencies to be invited by the appropriations panel for the deliberations on the proposed P5.268-trillion national budget for 2023.
National ID as ayuda requirement?
Regarding non-pandemic assistance, Diokno said the government is thinking of making the national ID a requirement for the beneficiaries.
"We are thinking along the lines of limiting the beneficiaries to those who have national ID. This is to make sure that there is an incentive for citizens to get a national ID," he said.
"Only those with national ID should be entitled to these form of ayudas, OK? And the PSA (Philippine Statistics Authority) promised they would produce at least 50 million national IDs by the end of this year," the DOF chief said.
"Kasi malaki po ang leakage sa mga ayuda na yan eh (There is a big leakage when it comes to those ayuda). I think you will agree with me that maybe the most efficient way to do this is by requiring every citizen to have a national ID," he told the House members.