Solon: Unspent DSWD fund does not justify cut in 4Ps allocation
By LLANESCA T. PANTI, HANA BORDEY, GMA Integrated News Published February 21, 2024 10:27pm The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD)’s failure to utilize at least P8 billion in conditional cash grants for the poorest of the poor or the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) in 2022 does not justify the P13 billion reduction […]
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By LLANESCA T. PANTI, HANA BORDEY, GMA Integrated News
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD)’s failure to utilize at least P8 billion in conditional cash grants for the poorest of the poor or the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) in 2022 does not justify the P13 billion reduction of the program’s budget for 2023, 4Ps party-list Representative JC Abalos said Wednesday.
Abalos was referring to the comments made by Senator Imee Marcos that the unspent allocation prompted her to move for its realignment to other DSWD projects such as supplemental feeding, Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan-Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services, Quick Response Fund for disasters, and Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS).
In a statement, Marcos, who sponsored the DSWD budget for 2023 in the Senate, said the department admitted during the committee hearings on the General Appropriation Bill for the said year that only 45% of the 4Ps budget had been spent with only three months remaining for the fiscal year.
“In order to avoid the threatened return of the unspent 4Ps allotment, I recommended that the balance of PhP8 billion instead be realigned to quickly implementable DSWD projects – so it was divided among supplemental feeding, KALAHI-CIDSS, Quick Response Fund for disasters, and AICS,” Marcos said.
“My conviction, as it has always been, was that the DSWD budget must be retained at all costs, as the poor would suffer all reductions and losses. Thus the P8 billion from the 4Ps was saved and benefited countless marginalized sectors. Meanwhile, Listahanan 3 was finalized, thus updating the 4Ps directory halted by the pandemic,” she added.
The senator also explained that the “P5-billion AICS reduction, on the other hand, occurred after I had recommended the amount in the Senate version, but the bicameral removed it for lack of fiscal space post-COVID.”
“Those two amounts – P8 billion plus P5 billion – are perhaps what some befuddled members are referring to,” Marcos added.
Abalos noted that DSWD was only able to utilize 45% of its 4Ps budget for 2022 not because of negligence, but because the Listahanan or the list of 4Ps beneficiaries that is required to be updated every three years was not updated under normal timelines from 2019 due to two circumstances.
“The 2019 national budget enacted into law during the first quarter of 2019 instead of the end of the year of 2018 is the fortuitous event number one. Secondly, we were hit by the pandemic by the time we are doing the Listahanan 3. This means that the DSWD was only able to spend the 4Ps budget for those under the [previous lists of] Listahanan 1 and 2,” he said.
“By end of 2022, that is the only time Listahanan 3 was completed. That is the explanation why the DSWD was only able to spend 45% of its 4Ps budget for 2022. Na-exhaust na nila ang lahat ng puede nilang gastusin. Nung lumabas na ang Listahanan 3, malaki na ang nabawas sa budget, kaya nagkaroon ng ganitong problema,” he added.
(DSWD was able to spend every fund they were allowed to spend. When Listahanan 3 was finished, the budget for 4Ps has been significantly reduced, that is why we have this problem now.)
Abalos said that Marcos’ good intentions are not always enough.
“I know the good Senator might have good intentions because she observed low utilization rate, pero kung bubusisiin natin nang maayos, kakausapin ang ahensya kung bakit ganyan lang ang nagastos, iyon ay dahil iyon lang talaga ang puedeng gastusin,” he said.
(If we only look closely and talk to the agency, they only spend what they are allowed to spend.)
“In any case, it is public knowledge that there are a lot of beneficiaries who are complaining because the distribution of their cash grant has been delayed,” he added.—LDF, GMA Integrated News
