Senator Grace Poe is still not satisfied with the government's move to increase the monthly subsidy to poor Filipino families from P200 to P500 by saying it "may look better on its face but there's a catch."
Poe in a statement Thursday expressed concern that from the earlier promised year-long assistance of P200, it was announced that the cash aid can now only be guaranteed for three months.
"Stretched to a month, P500 translates to only P16.67 per day, which is insufficient to cover for the oil price hikes in the past few weeks," the lawmaker said.
"Too paltry that it could not afford a family a half kilo of rice," she added
Poe said that as the Russia-Ukraine conflict continues, its effects, including the hike in the prices of oil and basic necessities, will "further" punish the poor.
"Every year, various agencies receive audit reports of unused or unobligated funds running in the billions that could be tapped for exigencies," she said.
"It is adding insult to agony to be close-fisted in allocating aid for a few months and leaving our people's woes hanging for the next administration to solve," she added.