MANILA — The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) on Wednesday welcomed a lawmaker’s proposal to hike the agency’s unconditional cash transfer (UCT) to PHP500.
The UCT is a cash subsidy provided under the TRAIN law to help poor Filipinos cushion the adverse economic impact of the law.
“I think if the lawmakers will do that, many of our poor people will really be very happy,” DSWD Acting Secretary Virginia Orogo said in a Palace briefing.
Earlier, 1Pacman Partylist Rep. Mikee Romero proposed to amend the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) law to hike to PHP500 the UCT provided under the law.
Under the current TRAIN law, a PHP200 monthly assistance (or PHP2,400 yearly) is being given to beneficiaries this year and PHP300 (or PHP3,600 yearly) for 2019 and 2020.
Romero said that he believes that the current PHP200 monthly assistance might not be enough to cushion the inflationary impact of the new tax law.
Orogo pointed out that their beneficiaries were already grateful for the PHP200 monthly assistance they receive monthly.
“Ito nga lang PHP200 ngayon, napaka-ligaya na po ng ating nabigyan na mga Pantawid Pamilya at senior citizen (Our Pantawid Pamilya beneficiaries and senior citizens are already happy with the PHP200 they receive),” she said.
Orogo further described the proposal as “good news” as long as the national budget affords it.
“Siguro sila na rin ang nakakaalam at nakakakita na kung kaya ng budget natin, why not ‘di ba (Perhaps, they know and they see that our budget can afford it so why not, right)? Orogo said.
“Magandang balita po para sa lahat kung itataas po ng ating mga lawmakers ‘yung PHP200 or PHP300 sa 2020 ng PHP500 (It is good news for everyone if our lawmakers will increase the PHP200 or PHP200 monthly assistance of 2020 to PHP500),” she added.
Not TRAIN’s fault
Department of Finance (DOF) Assistant Secretary Tony Lambino, for his part, emphasized that the TRAIN law is not the sole cause of inflation.
“Inamin naman po natin (We admitted) from the very beginning that there would be inflationary pressure. Except, so many people are blaming the whole inflation on TRAIN which is not true,” Lambino said.
“Yung datos po natin malinaw na may kontribusyon yung TRAIN but it’s 0.4 out of, kung Mayo po kung basehan natin, 4.6 percent (It’s clear that in our data, TRAIN has contributed to inflation but it’s 0.4 out of, if we use May data, 4.6 percent),” he added.
Lambino said that the UCT is designed to address the inflationary contribution of TRAIN and not all inflationary pressures caused by rising oil prices, and supply issues in agriculture and fisheries. (Azer Parrocha with reports from Nicole De Leon,OJT/PNA)
