Rep. Lucy Torres proposes simpler cash aid distribution process for poor, 'newly poor' Filipinos

The co-chair of a House committee's social amelioration cluster on Friday proposed a simplified process for cash aid distribution during the COVID-19 crisis as she claimed "newly poor" families significantly increased the number of Filipinos in need.

"Getting the emergency cash subsidy to the families who need it is just the first item on the social amelioration agenda, that's why we have to get it right," Leyte 4th District Representative Lucy Torres-Gomez said at a virtual technical working group meeting of the chamber's Defeat COVID-19 committee.

The official made the suggestion as she claimed that the COVID-19 emergency increased the number of poor families, which she said now includes not only the 5.4 million "traditional poor" families but also the 15.4 million low-income and lower middle income "newly poor" families that may have lost their income during the pandemic.

These include drivers, waiters, salon workers, office and small business owners living in urban areas who lost their livelihood as the health emergency affected several industries, she said.

"With a clearer idea of our income strata, perhaps we can expand the emergency cash subsidy program from 18 million to 20 million families," she said, explaining that the inclusion of the "newly poor" makes 85% of Filipino families targets for social amelioration.

"The wider net now covers 85% of families. That leaves out only 15% of Filipino families, so literally why are we even asking so many questions when they know that we want to give to 85% of families," she said.

In the proposed process, families entitled to the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), a conditional cash transfer program, can immediately get assistance through their Land Bank accounts, if they have one, or through home delivery.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) will then release a list of 4Ps families per barangay, she said.

For non-4Ps families, she suggested that barangays make a list of families below the 85th income percentile for submission to their city, municipal or provincial authorities. Local chief executives will then submit the number of families to the DSWD, which in turn will report to the president.

Gomez said the listed non-4Ps families should total 16 million.

When the total count tallies with national expectations, the cash can be disbursed with only a valid ID of the head of the family, a signature of receipt of subsidy, and a photo of them receiving the assistance as requirements and documentation, the official said.

"Although this process seems very simplistic, it delivers prompt aid and at the same time removes unnecessary qualifications and documentation," she said.

"From a theoretical standpoint, there is really enough money to give at least P5,000 for 85% of all Filipino families," she said. --KBK, GMA News