Former national police chief and senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson lauded President Marcos’ stand to continue the assistance package to the poor families as a way of helping them to overcome the daily hardship they encounter.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), said the President’s statement is commendable as the social program will uplift Filipino families from poverty than leave them dependent on perpetual dole-outs.
He is referring to the New Year message of President Marcos who made it clear in his New Year’s message that assistance programs such as cash subsidy and emergency employment aid are not about keeping poor Filipinos dependent.
“Our social programs provide welfare armor to the vulnerable but they also provide the means to overcome the very state that they find themselves in,” Marcos said in a facebook post.
“Thus, most ayudas are not a type of permanent welfare because we do not promote a life of dependency. Kaya nga ang pangunahin at tamang konsepto ay pantawid hindi palagian (That is why the primary and right concept is to help and not to be dependent on it),” he added.
In agreeing with the President’s statement, Lacson said that these initiatives must be reshaped into providing sustainable livelihood or job opportunities instead.
In same X post, Lacson, however, said that the government’s dole-out programs should be directed to the concerned government agencies.
On Facebook, Lacson also shared his previous statement on the matter of social programs which were aligned with President Marcos’ agenda for social programs.
Lacson said the country’s social programs must bear “an overarching objective to drive our people back to work, not subsist on dole-outs all their lives.”
This was in agreement with President Marcos, who explained in his New Year’s message that effective aid is not about keeping Filipinos stuck in poverty, but instead about helping them break free from such hardship.
The President also assured the public that the government’s free college program and other scholarship projects will continue this year.
Livelihood grants and product incubation assistance will also serve as government equity to skilled and talented Filipinos to help attain their dreams.
Marcos also promised to continue to give support to farmers, from seedlings to fertilizers to fuel “because their sweat alone should not nurture the crops they grow in feeding the nation.”