LEGAZPI CITY — Senator Grace Poe has called for urgent distribution of the subsidy meant to help Filipinos cope with the impact on prices of the implementation of the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) law.
Senate Committee on Public Services Chairman Poe and Senator Bam Aquino visited the Albay province on Friday to conduct a public hearing on the effects of TRAIN law.
“Many people feel the effects of higher prices not just brought by TRAIN but also by world market, the prices on oil,” said Poe.
“But there are safety nets that we should be implementing immediately in the hands of the government to make sure those subsidies, such as the fuel subsidy or the Pantawid Pasada Program for our drivers and the Unconditional Cash Transfer (UCT), are distributed on-time to our countrymen,” she added.
The senator said the government thus must prioritize the distribution of such subsidies to support the needs of the Filipino people.
“Madaliin na nila na ipamahagi ito para yong kinikita ng TRAIN na dapat talaga mapunta sa kanila ay mapunta na (They should fast track the distribution so that revenues that are generated by the TRAIN law will be received),” she added.
She noted PHP28-billion revenue from the implementation of TRAIN law must be distributed to the poorest of the poor.
Poe also assured that the Senate Committee in Ways and Means could look for ways to safeguard the welfare of the people affected by TRAIN “if the inflation is too high.”
Meanwhile, other local officials such as Representatives Joey Salceda (Albay 2nd district), Albay Governor Al Francis Bichara, and Albay Vice-Governor Harold Imperial were also present during Friday’s public hearing. (Connie Calipay/PNA)
