Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo "Ping" Lacson proposed on Tuesday, Dec. 2, a provision in the 2026 budget barring any political involvement in cash aid distribution to prevent politicians from abusing the ayuda (cash aid) distribution. During the period of amendments for the 2026 budget bill,...
Senator Rodante Marcoleta raised questions over whether the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) dozen major interventions—amounting to P212.5 billion under the Senate version of the 2026 national budget—are reaching their intended beneficiaries and meaningfully reducing...
To sustain the government’s ongoing relief and recovery efforts following recent disasters, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has released a total of ₱740.8 million to replenish the Quick Response Funds (QRF) of concerned agencies. In a statement, Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman...
To expedite the recovery of victims of recent calamities that have struck the country, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has released a total of ₱1.6 billion for the calamity funds of national government agencies. This amount has been used to replenish the quick response funds (QRFs)...
The Marcos Jr. administration will borrow $650 million, or over ₱37 billion, from the World Bank next year to sustain the conditional cash transfers for the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) and ensure that its youth beneficiaries land jobs. According to a Sept. 20 project information...
The Philippines will repay until 2053 its latest $400-million (nearly ₱23-billion) loan from the Manila-based Asian Development Bank (ADB) that supports the Marcos Jr. administration’s “Walang Gutom” Food Stamp Program. Documents showed that Finance Secretary Ralph G. Recto, on behalf of...
Senator Erwin Tulfo has expressed his commitment to discuss possible amendments to the implementation of Republic Act No. 11310, or the law that institutionalized the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps). The neophyte senator said this after a consultative meeting with Social Welfare...
The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has released a total of ₱1.6 billion to replenish the Quick Response Funds (QRFs) of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH). This move comes in response to the successive typhoons...
Senator Sherwin Gatchalian is batting for the full and effective implementation of the Parent Effective Service Program (PES) Act, also known as Republic Act (RA) No. 11908, to help curb bullying in schools. Senator Sherwin Gatchalian Gatchalian made this call during a public hearing on recent...
The World Bank would greenlight a $700-million (over ₱40-billion) loan for the Philippines in July, aimed at making local communities more resilient to natural disasters. According to a World Bank appraisal project information document dated April 8, the objective of the upcoming Philippines...
A total of 12 Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) projects, including the Ayuda sa Kapos ang Kita Program (AKAP), have been granted exemption by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) from the ban on the release of public funds ahead of the May 2025 midterm elections. Commission on...
Four Philippine projects funded by World Bank loans totaling over $1.37 billion (nearly ₱80 billion) are progressing satisfactorily, according to the Washington-based multilateral lender. In separate implementation status and results reports this month and last month, the World Bank said the...