The government’s cash assistance or ayuda programs for poor families are intended for the poor, not for those who exploit the poor for their political gain, Senator Imee Marcos said.
In a recent Senate hearing on the 2025 budget of the Department of Social Welfare Development (DSWD), Marcos lamented that complaints that programs like Assistance to Individuals In Crisis Situations and Ayuda para sa Kapos ang Kita Program are exploited for political gain.
“Seventeen years in, we should evaluate and improve our 4Ps program, the cornerstone of our anti-poverty efforts,” she said.
The senator cited data showing that only 39.1 percent of recipients improved their living conditions, while 60 percent remained in poverty.
“These numbers tell us it’s high time we pause, reflect, and implement the necessary changes for the program to effectively address intergenerational poverty,” according to her.
Marcos also underscored the importance of protecting DSWD’s contractual workers and called for the expansion of feeding programs, and better cash grants for students and persons with disabilities.
She also urged the revival of the Pag-abot and Balik Probinsya programs to encourage Filipinos to return to their home provinces.IMT
