𝐒𝐞𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫 𝐈𝐦𝐞𝐞 𝐑. 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐨𝐬 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐑𝐞: 𝐌𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐠𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐏𝐡𝐏𝟏𝟑-𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐛𝐮𝐝𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝟒𝐏𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬

𝐒𝐞𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫 𝐈𝐦𝐞𝐞 𝐑. 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐨𝐬 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐑𝐞: 𝐌𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐠𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐏𝐡𝐏𝟏𝟑-𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐛𝐮𝐝𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝟒𝐏𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬

Sino raw?

During September 2022 hearings for the GAA 2023 budget, the DSWD admitted that - per their financial reports - only 45% of the 4Ps budget had been spent, with a single quarter to go.

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.

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 PhP8 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.

The PhP5-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 - PhP8 billion plus PhP5 billion - are perhaps what some befuddled members are referring to.

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