Taguig-Pateros representative and former House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano has revealed that P554 billion will be allotted for social aid in the 2022 national budget.
Cayetano told DZRH in an interview, however, while a lot of Filipinos will receive aid, not all will get them.
"Dahil nasa kanya-kanyang departamento ito, DTI (Department of Trade and Industry), DOLE (Department of Labor and Employment), DSWD (Department of Social Welfare and Development), hindi ito direktang makukuha ng lahat," Cayetano explained.
(Because they are in each department, DTI, DOLE, DSWD, it will not be directly received by everyone.)
"Ang good news may pera, at ang good news definitely maraming makakatanggap, kaya lang sinusunod natin yung sana all, sana lahat ng nangangailangan," he added.
(The good news is there is money, and another good news is a lot of people will receive them. However, we are hoping that all who need it will get aid.)
According to Cayetano, this is because of a "pre-pandemic policy-making" where the budget is distributed to different departments to prepare for various situations.
However, he stressed that while in the pandemic, every Filipino - even those no longer in lockdown - are still affected by the health crisis.
"So I think policy-wise yun ang problema, we're still thinking as if tapos na ang pandemic o walang pandemic o kaya sandali na lang 'tong pandemic," he said.
(So I think policy-wise that’s the problem, we’re still thinking as if the pandemic is over or there is no pandemic or the pandemic will not last long.)
The lawmaker said he preferred how things were done in Bayanihan 1, when the budget was given to local government units and distributed directly to beneficiaries.
"Hindi pa magagamit ito sa pulitika," he said.
(It will also not be used for politics.)
Cayetano has been pushing for P10,000 worth of aid for Filipinos amid the pandemic. However, his proposal was previously pushed back due to lack of funds.
According to the representative, if the government cannot give all Filipinos aid, then it could at least give funds to small businesses that have been hit by the pandemic.
"Nagbibigay ka na dati nang masipag, tinamaan lang talaga ng pandemic," he said.
(You are giving it to hardworking people who have been hit by the pandemic.)
