Strained by billions of pesos spent by the previous administration to contain the Covid-19 pandemic, government appeårs to be financially incapable of supporting three bills seeking to give P2,000 monthly social pension for persons with disability (PWDs).
This fact surfaced in today’s public hearing by the Senate social justice, welfare and development committee chaired by Senator Imee Marcos.
Despite good intentions of the measures, there is no money from the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), Department of Finance (DOF) and the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) to finance them, Marcos said.
If there is money at all, it is not enough to cover a portion of the country’s PWDs. The National Council on Disability Authority (NCDA) has a list of 670,000 PWDS.
NCDA promised Marcos to submit to her an up-to-date figure on how many Filipino PWDs there are after it has coordinated with the Department of Health (DOH) and Local Government Units (LGUs).
LGUs have difficulty in having internet connections to send the data on PWDs, NCDA officials said.
Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Erwin Tulfo was not present during the hybrid public hearing but sent instead an assistant secretary to the hearing.
‘’Rampant,’’ Marcos said of the existence of fake PWD cards that could reportedly be had easily.
These fake PWD cards reportedly are issued by some LGUs.
Marcos said the possession of PWD cards is crucial and important to avert the confusion and injuries to a few when thousands of persons stormed some DSWD offices for a stipend for the schooling of students coming from poor families.
‘’We don’t want a repeat of the stampede,’’ she added.
At the end of the public hearing, Marcos announced that her committee would subject the three bills to a technical working group where government agencies were asked to come up with financial and non-financial assistance to the PWDs.
Senator Manuel “Lito” M. Lapid noted the high incidence of disabilities in the country compared to international standards, as cited in the National Disability Prevalence Survey conducted by the Philippine Statistics Authority in 2016: Twelve percent among Filipinos aged 15 and above who suffer extreme disability; and 47 percent who suffer moderate disability.
Lapid filed Senate Bill (SB) 31, or the Monthly Social Pension for Indigent Persons with Disability Act, which provides a monthly social pension benefit amounting to P2,000 to indigent PWDs.
“Amid this crisis, it is imperative for the government to extend its care and assistance for our countrymen especially those with disabilities. The provision of this monthly social pension is primarily aimed at supporting the expenses of and easing the financial burdens suffered by indigent PWDs and their families,” Lapid said.
Senator Ramon Bong Revilla Jr., on the other hand, thanked Marcos for deliberating the legislative proposals calling for the appropriation of support fund and monthly allowances for persons with disability (PWDs). Revilla filed Senate Bill. 501, which seeks to establish a "Disability Support Fund" to address the gaps in the programs currently being implemented by the government.
The proposed fund shall include monetary support for PWDs based on their personal needs such as rehabilitation, habilitation, assistive devices and technology, and support services.
In pushing for his bill in the 19th Congress, Revilla vowed to champion social justice for marginalized persons in society, including PWDs.
"I hope that with the bills we will tackle today focusing on the welfare of PWDs, we will be able to shape a better, safer, inclusive future for all of them," Revilla said in his opening statement.