Communications Secretary Martin Andanar explained that only beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) are set to receive the monthly P200 subsidy approved by President Duterte amid the rising prices of oil and petroleum products.

Andanar made this clarification after Duterte approved the recommendation of the Department of Finance (DOF) to retain the fuel excise tax under the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) Law and give the bottom 50 percent of Filipino households cash aid for one year to cushion the effects of the successive oil price hikes.

In an interview with Super Radyo DZBB, Andanar explained why the government is only giving P200 per month for one year to poor Filipino families amid criticisms that the amount is too small to help.

"Ang sinabi po kasi ni Secretary Dominguez (According to Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III), it is what we can afford as of today," he said Thursday, March 17.

"Obviously, kung ano po iyong kaya lang ng kaban ng bayan ay iyon lang ang maibibigay natin, kasi kung susobra naman tayo doon ay mangungutang na naman tayo (we can only give what we can because if we exceed, we will have to borrow again)," he added.

According to the acting presidential spokesman, the government aims to start the distribution of the subsidy this March, and the best agency to do this would be the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

"Once po na ma-download na iyong pera na nagkakahalaga ng P33 billion ay ibibigay na po talaga ay at ang target po at this month ay masimulan na po (Once we have downloaded the amount worth P33 billion, we will immediately start and we are targeting to start this month)," he said.

"Ang DSWD, sila iyong namimigay ng 4Ps. So sila iyong pinakamagandang tanungin kung paano ibibigay (The DSWD is in-charge of the 4Ps so it's best to ask them how would this be distributed)," he added.

Andanar said only members of 4Ps will receive the said subsidy, which will be on top of the amount they are already receiving from the government.

"Opo. Ito po iyong tinatawag na 50 percent bottom, ito po iyong mga mahihirap po talaga na mga kababayan natin (Yes, they are the 50 percent bottom-- our poor fellowmen)," he said when asked if only 4Ps beneficiaries will receive the cash aid.

"Ito po ay on top of the 4Ps na naibibigay po doon sa ating mga beneficiaries ng Pantawid Pamilya Program (This is in addition to the amount 4Ps beneficiaries are already getting under the 4Ps program)," he added.

According to Andanar, there are 4.2 million households who are 4Ps beneficiaries as of February 28, 2022. They receive P6,000 a year or P500 per month per household for health and nutrition expenses and P3,000 for one school year.

"Dadagdagan po natin ng P200 na ayuda po dahil dito sa inflation at dahil po dito sa pagtaas ng presyo ng langis (We will add P200 to that because of the inflation and because of the increasing prices of fuel products)," said.