BUDGET INTERPELLATION QUESTIONS FOR DSWD - 4Ps PROGRAM, SLP and SOCIAL PENSION FOR SENIOR CITIZENS Notable items/areas in the budget DSWD – Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) 2020 NEP ₱108.765 billion ₱2021 NEP 113.8 billion ₱2022 NEP 115.669 billion
Issues
Questions
● The 4Ps under the Promotive Social Welfare Program has the biggest 2022 budget proposal amounting to ₱115.67 billion in the NEP. However, the Senate Committee report reflected a new budget of ₱107.67 billion allocation. ● With the supposed expansion coverage of 4Ps, budget allocations also decreased by ₱8 billion. ● Prior impact evaluations revealed that the 4Ps exhibits general success in terms of improved access to health services and keeping the children in school. However, many people still perceive this intervention as a ‘doleout’ program that breeds dependency. ● Since 2020, 24,043 households have graduated from the 4Ps as per the data gathered in the period of January 2020 to June 8, 2021. These families are continuously monitored through local government units (LGUs) for the possible provision of other appropriate Page 1 of 3
● The 4Ps is the biggest budgeted intervention of DSWD with a total appropriation of ₱115.689 billion in the NEP. Considering the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic to the poor households and the need to increase the coverage of poor families to be assisted by the government, what led to our decision to cut DSWD’s budget from ₱115.669 to ₱107.669 billion? ● With regard to the 2020 budget report that only 91.12% of the budget was utilized, what projects under the 4Ps program were not utilized? Have we met the targeted number of households? ● Due to the rising number of poor families affected by the pandemic in the country, will the targeted number of households be adjusted for this year to cater to families and children which qualify as 4Ps beneficiaries? Can the 4.4 million targeted households be adjusted and increased? ● With the huge number of household beneficiaries (and graduates) of 4Ps, how will the DSWD closely and strictly monitor these households ensuring that their cash aids
assistance. -
are put to good use?
Since the institutionalization of 4Ps in 2019, the program’s budget has significantly increased. ● For the years 2020-2021, the target household has not increased and is still at 4,400,000.
● For 2020-2021, the cost of service remained the same. However, in the 2022 NEP, the cost of service drastically decreased from ₱1.623 billion to ₱716 million. For the record, can the Sponsor explain the change in the cost of service? ● From ₱509 million, the bank service fee dropped to ₱289 million in 2021. However, in the 2022 NEP, the bank service fee rose to ₱371 million. Can the Sponsor shed light on the matter?
DSWD Graduation of Beneficiaries during the pandemic
2. Worsening economic insecurity of Filipinos occasioned by the pandemic ● There are an estimated 1.8 million poor families who slid back to poverty ● According to Philippine Statistics Authority’s (PSA) most recent report: unemployment rate is at 6.9% equivalent to 3.07 million people; labor force participation rate went down to 59.8% or 44.74 million Filipinos ● State economists see unemployment staying elevated and more people remaining below the poverty line until 2022 ● A national survey conducted from April 28 to May 2 (2021) among 1,200 adults found that 16.8% of Filipino families experienced “involuntary hunger” or hunger due to lack of food at least once in the past three months. Page 2 of 3
If the pandemic caused a major downturn in the economic condition of most Filipinos, how sure is the DSWD that graduating beneficiaries are economically able enough to be removed from the 4Ps program? Do we have reasonable benchmarks for this?
DSWD – Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP)
3. The SLP, also a sub-program of the OSEC’S Promotive Social Welfare Program, has a proposed budget allocation of ₱4.86 billion.
• The SLP has a proposed appropriation of ₱4.86 billion. However, the said program does not have a high success rate in improving its beneficiaries’ household and wage incomes. • In a 2020 assessment How will the DSWD utilize this study on the SLP, it was revealed ₱4.86 billion budget to effectively that there is only a slight improve the livelihood condition increase in the probability of the of its beneficiaries? beneficiaries of the program being employed and it basically had null effects on household and wage incomes.
DSWD – 4. The Protective Social Welfare Social Pension Program will receive an amount for Indigent of ₱48.24 billion. Senior Citizens • Under the said major program is the Social Pension for Indigent Senior Citizens with expenditure amounting to ₱23.52 billion. • Starting in January 2022, the social pension for indigent senior citizens will be released on a quarterly basis instead of every six months. Under the proposal of House Deputy Speaker Rufus Rodriguez, senior citizens shall receive ₱500 monthly pension every three months for a total of ₱1,500 in lieu of the current ₱3,000 pension every six months thereby doubling the social pension for the elderly.
Interpellation
Page 3 of 3
•From ₱3,000 pension every six months, indigent senior citizens will be receiving ₱500 monthly pension every three months for a total of ₱1,500 in the year 2022. With the program’s increasing beneficiaries and doubled social pension for the elderly, how will the DSWD utilize the ₱23.52 billion proposed budget for it to be sufficient for the implementation of the said program?