No fund for COVID-19 cash aid under proposed 2021 budget —DBM chief Avisado

There will be no appropriations for the social amelioration program (SAP) or more commonly known as "ayuda" under the proposed P4.5 trillion national budget for 2021, Budget Secretary Wendel Avisado said Wednesday.

During a Senate budget hearing, Minority Leader Franklin Drilon asked why there is no allocation for the emergency cash aid when the number of Filipino families that would go under the poverty line is seen to increase because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"For 2021, we only have regular programs for the DSWD," Avisado said.

"We're looking at the improvement in the economy and the opportunity for people to be able to work already and we still have the regular programs, the 4Ps that will be continued," he added.

He said the P200 billion budget for SAP under the Bayanihan 1 law to benefit around 18 million households earlier this year, and another P6 billion under the proposed Bayanihan 2 were provided because of the lockdowns that hampered many Filipinos from working.

"For next year, we're hoping that we can go back to the regular programs of DSWD. That is the reason why there is no provision for SAP for next year," Avisado said.

Further, he said the government is also investing in infrastructure projects which have "multiplier effect" in generating jobs and would facilitate more sustainable interventions to uplift the economic situation of Filipinos.

He added that this is better than merely giving dole-outs.

In response, Drilon said he would further scrutinize the DSWD budget.

Under the proposed budget for 2021, the DSWD gets P171.2 billion while P667.3 billion was earmarked for the Department of Public Works and Highways.—AOL, GMA News