SENATOR Imee Marcos is seeking a no-nonsense assessment of the government’s anti-poverty programs amid allegations that they were being exploited for political purposes.
“Seventeen years in, we should evaluate and improve our 4Ps program, the cornerstone of our anti-poverty efforts,” Marcos said during a hearing on the government’s pro-poor financial subsidies.
The senator cited data showing that only 39.1 percent of the beneficiaries asserted their living conditions improved, while 60 remained in poverty.
Marcos launched the legislative inquiry in light of mounting complaints against alleged misuse of the anti-poverty programs such as the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations (AICS), the Ayuda para sa Kapos ang Kita Program (AKAP), and other state initiatives meant to help the needy and marginalized sector of society.
This isn’t the first time complaints have reached the Senate from officials and communities alike. AICS, AKAP, all types of ayuda are intended for the poor, not for those who exploit the poor for their political gain,” Marcos’ office said in a statement.
The statement also said Marcos wanted an update on the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) investigation into the Office of the Vice President’s (OVP) report that requests for financial assistance coursed through them had been repeatedly denied.
DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian reportedly denied the claims and pledged to share screenshots between the DSWD and the OVP, as well as their report disproving the allegations of “politicized ayuda.”
During the second hearing presided by Marcos , Zamboanga City Rep. Khymer Adan Olaso also claimed that the DSWD withheld pay-outs for political reasons. Similar complaints reportedly surfaced in Surigao del Norte and North Cotabato.
With the proposed P229.8 billion DSWD budget, Marcos questioned the effectiveness of key programs, including the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), the Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP), and the KALAHI-CIDSS (Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan-Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services)
“These numbers tell us it’s high time we pause, reflect, and implement the necessary changes for the program to effectively address intergenerational poverty,” Marcos stressed/
During the hearing, Marcos also underscored the importance of protecting DSWD’s contractual workers, expanding feeding programs, and improving cash grants and cash-for-work initiatives for students and persons with disabilities.
She called for the revival of the Pag-abot and Balik Probinsya programs to encourage urban center immigrants to return to their home provinces.
