The proposed 2024 budget will support various livelihood programs, according to the Department of Budget and Management (DBM).
DBM Secretary Amenah Pangandaman said the livelihood of Filipinos remains a priority of the government in the proposed 2024 National Expenditure Program.
The Department of Labor and Employment’s Integrated Livelihood Program (DILP) would receive P2.28 billion under the proposed 2024 NEP.
DILP caters to the development needs of communities, regional or local development priorities such as off-farm/non-farm livelihood diversification in the rural agricultural economy and key employment generating sector (KEGS)-related projects.
“It is the administration’s fervent hope that this budget will continue to lay the groundwork for future-proofing the economy and making the country’s growth inclusive and sustainable, not just for the Filipinos of today, but also for the future generations,” Pangandaman said in a statement.
Meanwhile, the DOLE Livelihood and Employment Program would receive P16.4 billion under the proposed 2024 NEP, including P12.9 billion for the Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged Workers (TUPAD) Program.
Another P406.88 million was earmarked for the Adjustment Measures Program (AMP) which serves as a safety net program to support projects and programs that generate employment, preserve livelihoods, and address the needs of Filipino workers.
The Department of Budget and Management said to enhance the capabilities of poor Filipinos’ access to income-generating opportunities and help improve their socio-economic well-being, another P5.62 billion was proposed for the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) Sustainable Livelihood Program.
The Implementation and Monitoring of PAyapa at MAsaganang PamayaNAn (PAMANA) Program, which contributes to improving community access to socio-economic interventions, was allotted P549 million.
It said to improve the country’s technology for breeding and larval rearing of fish and ensure the production of high-quality products, P1.355 billion was allocated to the Department of Agriculture’s Aquaculture Sub-Program.
The reduction of poverty through the provision of agricultural and fishery interventions to the poor farming and fishing sectors was also given attention as the Special Area of Agricultural Development (SAAD) Program Phase 2 was allotted P1.094 billion.
Another P210.9 million was dedicated to the Department of Agrarian Reform’s Major Crop-based Block Farm Productivity Enhancement Program, which seeks to optimize the efficiency, productivity, and profitability of farms owned by Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries (ARBs).
Agencies such as the Department of Migrant Workers, the Department of Trade and Industry and the Department of Science and Technology also have their respective projects and initiatives to uplift Filipinos’ livelihoods in 2024.