President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s recent pronouncement on granting cash assistance and subsidies amid the COVID-19 pandemic runs counter to Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno’s view on the matter.
Based on the calculations of IBON Foundation obtained by VERA Files Fact Check, the proposed budget for 2023 has a total of P229.38 billion for assistance programs. This includes P204.75 billion through the Department of Social Welfare and Development.
IBON Executive Director Sonny Africa noted that the 2023 total allocation is P33.28 billion less than the P262.67 billion for 2022.
IBON Foundation is a nonprofit development organization that “seeks to promote an understanding of socioeconomics that serves the interests and aspirations of the Filipino people.”
In an Oct. 8 press release, the Department of Health recognized the role of social safety nets and assistance to the poor and other vulnerable groups “in coping with the effects of the pandemic, facilitating economic recovery, and addressing poverty.”
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