Groups say, TRAIN law is a 'burden' for poor sector

Cause-oriented group Tindig Pilipinas on Wednesday held a rally outside the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) office in Quezon City to protest the negative effects of the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) law.

The group said the law is a burden on poor citizens as their earnings are not enough with the price increase of basic commodities.

In a statement, the group said the DSWD "failed to provide cover to the 10 Million families that the DOF (Department of Finance) already stated that will be adversely affected by TRAIN."

"Social protection is meant to provide safety nets for the vulnerable sectors of society but we have not seen any coming from this government," the group added.

Cesar Apolinario reported on Balitanghali that Tindig Pilipinas was joined by 500 residents, who are asking for an increase in the allowance.

The residents said they receive allowances regularly from the government, including educational assistance, annual medical and transportation allowances and a burial allowance

However, due to the effects of the TRAIN law, they said the amount they receive is no longer enough.

DSWD officials learned of the presence of the said residents, who are mostly mothers, were allowed to enter the office to have their documents processed.

In their full statement, Tindig Pilipinas scored President Duterte and his cabinet for supposedly being numb to those bearing the brunt of the price hikes.

"When Mr. Duterte became president, he promised the poorest of the poor, our most vulnerable sector of our society, that its assistance to them will no longer be conditional but rather be an Unconditional Cash Transfer Program, a dole out in the truest sense," the group said.

"Well, two years have since passed, President Duterte’s TRAIN wreck has caused untold sufferings on the poor, caused higher inflation resulting to the prices of even the most basic commodities such as rice, fish and all the Bahay Kubo vegetables increasing dramatically," they added.

"Meanwhile, joblessness has risen and nothing has happened to their much ballyhooed Unconditional Transfer Program. The daily 6 pesos given to a family of 5 is hardly assistance at all, it is an unconditional insult to the poor," it said. — Margaret Claire Layug/BAP, GMA News