Livelihood programs priorities under proposed 2024 budget —DBM

The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) on Wednesday said the Marcos administration is putting a premium on livelihood programs under the proposed P5.768-trillion National Expenditure Program (NEP) in 2024.

“It is the administration’s fervent hope that this budget will continue to lay the groundwork for future-proofing the economy and making the country’s growth inclusive and sustainable, not just for the Filipinos of today, but also for the future generations,” said Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman.

In particular, the DBM said the Department of Labor and Employment’s (DOLE) Integrated Livelihood Program (DILP) — a grant assistance on livelihood for disadvantaged workers, either for individuals, or groups — was allocated P2.28 billion in the proposed 2024 national budget.

The DILP caters to the development needs of communities, considering regional or local development priorities such as off-farm/non-farm livelihood diversification in the rural agricultural economy, and key employment generating sector (KEGS)-related projects.

Moreover, the DBM said DOLE’s Livelihood and Employment Program was allocated P16.4 billion in the proposed budget for next year.

Of the said amount, P12.9 billion was earmarked for the Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged Workers (TUPAD) Program.

Another P406.88 million was set aside for DOLE’s Adjustment Measures Program (AMP), a program that serves as a safety net to support projects and programs that generate employment, preserve livelihoods, and address the needs of Filipino workers.

Meanwhile, P5.62 billion was allocated for the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) Sustainable Livelihood Program, which aims to enhance the capabilities of poor Filipinos’ access to income-generating opportunities and help improve their socio-economic well-being.

The DBM added that P549 million was allocated to the DSWD’s PAyapa at MAsaganang PamayaNAn (PAMANA) Program’s implementation and monitoring. The program contributes to improving community access to socio-economic interventions, according to the department.

For the Department of Agriculture’s (DA) livelihood initiatives, the DBM said P1.35 billion was set aside for the Aquaculture Sub-Program aimed “to improve the country’s technology for breeding and larval rearing of fish and ensure the production of high-quality products.”

Meanwhile, the DA’s Special Area of Agricultural Development (SAAD) Program Phase 2 was allocated P1.094 billion. The program aims to reduce poverty through the provision of agricultural and fishery interventions to the poor farming and fishing sectors.

“Another P210.9 million was dedicated to the Department of Agrarian Reform’s Major Crop-based Block Farm Productivity Enhancement Program, which seeks to optimize the efficiency, productivity, and profitability of farms owned by Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries (ARBs),” the DBM said.

“Furthermore, agencies such as the Department of Migrant Workers, the Department of Trade and Industry, and the Department of Science and Technology also have their respective projects and initiatives to uplift Filipinos’ livelihoods in 2024,” it added. —KBK, GMA Integrated News