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 P500.
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 be very happy,” DSWD Acting Secretary Virginia Orogo said in a Palace briefing.
Earlier, 1Pacman Party-list Rep. Mikee L. Romero proposed to amend the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) law to hike to P500 the UCT provided under the law.
Under the current TRAIN law, a P200 monthly assistance (or P2,400 yearly) is being given to beneficiaries this year and P300 (or P3,600 yearly) for 2019 and 2020.
Romero said he believes the current P200 monthly assistance might not be enough to cushion the inflationary impact of the new tax law.
Orogo said their beneficiaries were already grateful for the P200 monthly assistance they receive monthly.
“Our Pantawid Pamilya beneficiaries and senior citizens are already happy with the P200 they receive,” she said.
Orogo described the proposal as “good news” as long as the national budget affords it.
“Perhaps, they know and they see that our budget can afford it, so why not, right?” Orogo said.
“It is good news for everyone if our lawmakers will increase the P200 or P200 monthly assistance of 2020 to P500,” she added.
Department of Finance Assistant Secretary Tony Lambino emphasized the TRAIN law is not the sole cause of inflation.
“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.
“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 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.