Senator Imee R. Marcos statement
Re: Malicious allegations of withholding PhP13-billion budget for 4Ps beneficiaries

Sino raw?

During September 2022 hearings for the GAA 2023 budget, the DSWD admitted that - per their financial reports - only 45% of the 4Ps budget had been spent, with a single quarter to go.

In order to avoid the threatened return of the unspent 4Ps allotment, I recommended that the balance of PhP8 billion instead be realigned to quickly implementable DSWD projects - so it was divided among supplemental feeding, KALAHI-CIDSS, Quick Response Fund for disasters, and AICS.

My conviction, as it has always been, was that the DSWD budget must be retained at all costs, as the poor would suffer all reductions and losses. Thus the PhP8 billion from the 4Ps was saved and benefited countless marginalized sectors. Meanwhile, Listahanan 3 was finalized, thus updating the 4Ps directory halted by the pandemic.

The PhP5-billion AICS reduction, on the other hand, occurred after I had recommended the amount in the Senate version, but the bicameral removed it for lack of fiscal space post-Covid.

Those two amounts - PhP8 billion plus PhP5 billion - are perhaps what some befuddled members are referring to.

Sino raw?

Noong September 2022 hearings para sa GAA 2023 budget, sinabi ng DSWD - base sa kanilang mga financial reports - na tanging 45% lang ng 4Ps budget ang nagastos, at tatlong buwan na lang ang natitira para gastusin.

Para maiwasan ang bantang ibalik ang hindi nagastos para sa 4Ps, inirekomenda ko na ang balanseng PhP8 bilyon ay ilipat sa mga proyekto ng DSWD na madaling maisakatuparan - kaya ito hinati sa supplemental feeding, KALAHI-CIDSS, Quick Response Fund para sa mga sakuna, at AICS.

Ang aking paniwala, gaya pa ng dati, ay ang badyet ng DSWD ay dapat na mapanatili sa lahat ng kaukulang gastos, dahil ang mga mahihirap ang mawawalan sa anumang kaltas sa budget. Dahil doon, naisalba ang PhP8 bilyon para sa 4Ps at napakinabangan ng napakaraming marginalized sectors. Natapos din ang Listahanan 3 kung kayat nagawang pangkasalukuyan ang 4Ps directory na naantala ng pandemya.

Sa kabilang banda, ang pagbawas ng PhP5 bilyon sa AICS ay nangyari matapos kong irekomenda ang halagang iyon sa bersyon ng Senado sa budget, ngunit tinanggal ito ng nagsamang kapulungan ng Kongreso dahil sa kakulangan ng fiscal space matapos ang pandemya.

Ang dalawang halagang iyon - PhP8 bilyon plus PhP5 bilyon - marahil ang tinutukoy ng ilang mga nalilito.