Lawmakers led by Deputy Majority Leader for Communications Erwin Tulfo of ACT-CIS Partylist on Tuesday said government aid programs such as Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez and Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) Card and Rice Distribution (CARD) Program will soften the impact of the recorded rise in inflation last February, a press release from the House of Representatives said.
In the regular press briefing of the House of Representatives, Tulfo said even if inflation rose to 3.4 percent this February compared to 2.8 percent in January, the government has put in place many intervention programs to cushion the effects of the rise in inflation.
Rizal Rep. Fidel Nograles, the chair of the House Committee on Labor and Employment, said these government aid programs work as “wage subsidies” in the absence of a legislated wage hike for now.
House Assistant Majority Leader Mikaela Angela “Mika” Suansing of Nueva Ecija said that with the rise in inflation in February, the government should be focusing on lowering the price of rice in the market.
“The focus really of government interventions should be on rice. The focus of the policies of the House of Representatives, of the Department of Agriculture (DA) and the President’s administration in general should be to help lower the price of rice,” Suansing said.
House Assistant Majority Leader Raul Angelo “Jil” Bongalon of Ako Bicol Partylist said the government should now focus on two things: food stability and the availability of basic necessities for Filipino families.
Tulfo started to enumerate these government aid programs starting with the CARD Program, a revolutionary project that aims to distribute a 25-kilogram sack of rice and P1,000 in cash for vulnerable sectors through the legislative districts of the House of Representatives.
“(A total of) 80-plus provinces, will be able to avail of rice and cash distribution being provided by the administration through Speaker Martin Romualdez. The poorest of the poor are being provided cash and rice assistance,” Tulfo noted.
He also mentioned the P26.7 billion Ayuda para sa Kapos ang Kita Program (AKAP) of the Department of Social Welfare and Development, which he used to head, as also part of government intervention to aid nearly 12 million “near-poor” citizens.
“Those earning P23,000 or less, whether employed in private firms or are employed as waiter or waitress, call center, could avail of one time 5,000 (under AKAP) to soften the impact of the rise in inflation,” Tulfo said.
“Unfortunately, naging kontrobersyal siya so medyo pinatigil muna ng DSWD at pinag-aaralan, how do we do this kasi medyo tinamaan nga ‘yon pero naglagay ng pondo diyan ng Congress para po dun sa mga middle class ho natin,” he added.
The AKAP allocation came under attack from Sen. Imee Marcos who questioned the existence of the allocation, saying senators weren’t aware of it.
However, lawmakers shot back and said her signature was in the bicameral committee report on the 2024 national budget, and she also witnessed the signing into law of the General Appropriations Act (GAA).
Tulfo also mentioned other government aid programs such as the Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP) of the DSWD, the TUPAD from the Department of Labor and Employment, the increase to P500 the senior citizens and PWD discounts on groceries, and the possibility that PhilHealth may shoulder 50 percent of medical bills of members.*
